After years of speculation about his suitability for the Manchester United position, Zinedine Zidane is “secretly preparing” to take over as manager of France. Zidane appears to be in the race to succeed Didier Deschamps, who is expected to end his wildly successful tenure as coach of Les Bleus next season.
The 56-year-old Deschamps said in January that he will leave his position with the national squad following the 2026 World Cup in North America. The former midfielder for Chelsea and Juventus has had a very successful tenure as France’s coach, guiding his country to consecutive World Cup finals and winning the championship in 2018.
In the meantime, rumors that Zidane was involved with the United job have hardly subsided in recent years. The Red Devils haven’t been fully satisfied with a coach since Sir Alex Ferguson left 12 years ago, and the Ballon d’Or winner hasn’t had a coaching position since departing Los Blancos for the second time in 2021.
The 53-year-old Zidane won two league crowns, three Champions League medals, and two FIFA Club World Cups while managing Real Madrid. Since his comeback, he has become one of the most sought-after free agents on the managing market, and rumors of a move to United, which started under Erik ten Hag, aren’t going away due to ongoing worries over Ruben Amorim.
However, Zidane had his sights set on the France hot seat, which will open up in less than a year, according to L’Equipe. Additionally, having a succession plan in place may appeal to many French supporters, especially if the candidate is a national hero.
“I feel legitimate in the French national team, where I played and spent almost 12, 13, or 14 years as a player,” Zidane was quoted as saying at an Adidas event in May. “Of course, it’s a dream. I can’t wait.
“There’s a coach in charge, there’s a team, and you have to respect all that, and that’s what we do. I’ve always respected football and people, so it’s not really the right time. But when the time comes, it will be a great pleasure if the opportunity presents itself. I put my career on hold for a while, but I feel fully a coach.”
Deschamps is a big admirer of Zidane and has spoken highly of his coaching credentials in the past. And it was soon after announcing his departure date that the incumbent poured praise on his compatriot.
“There is a lot of respect between us,” he told L’Equipe in early 2025 when asked for his take on the former Real chief potentially succeeding him as manager of France. “We saw each other last time in the summer of 2023, we should see each other again next summer, for the same reasons.
“Zizou is a very good candidate, natural and I would add expected. Afterwards, I don’t know if he will want to.”
Amorim is still favored by many United fans, who hope the former Sporting CP coach succeeds at Old Trafford. Just before the international break, the Red Devils finally won their first game of the season at home against Burnley, although the close-run victory over promoted opponents doesn’t exactly bode well.
Less than a year has passed since Amorim took over as United’s manager, but many supporters weren’t impressed with his inability to lead the team out of their lowest-ever Premier League place of 15th last season. Neither did the team’s early elimination from the EFL Cup this season following a defeat to Grimsby of League Two.
After achieving so much in club football, it makes a lot of sense for Zidane to turn his attention to the international scene. Amorim’s United, however, is going one step at a time and will play Manchester City in a derby on Sunday after the international break.
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