ZINEDINE ZIDANE has reportedly secured his future return to management.
The legendary French former midfielder, 53, has been out of a job since leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2020/21 season.
Now he has an agreement to take over in a new role according to Diario AS, who say his appointment is just “a matter of time.”
They report that Zidane is next in line to lead the French national team, for whom he made over 100 appearances as a player.
Current France boss Didier Deschamps has previously announced his intention to leave the role following the 2026 World Cup.
He told French outlet TF1 in January: “In 2026 it will be over.
“In my head it’s very clear. I’ve done my time, with the same desire and passion to maintain France at the highest level, but 2026 is a very good [time to stop].
“One has to be able to say stop, there’s a life after this. The most important thing is for France to stay at the top as they have been for many years.”
If the reports are to be believed, then Zidane has some significant shoes to fill.
Deschamps took over at the Stade de France in 2013, and has amassed quite the trophy cabinet in the years since.
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He led France to World Cup glory in 2018, as well as an appearance in the thrilling World Cup final against Argentina in 2022.
But Zidane, who won the Cup with France as a player in 1998, has the CV to match thanks to his dominant spells with Madrid.
The Frenchman won LaLiga titles in the 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons.
But his most impressive achievement with Los Blancos is surely winning three consecutive Champions League trophies, being the only manager in world football to have managed the feat.
On that evidence, his four-year absence from management has felt conspicuous to some, but it seems he has just been biding his time for the France job, with AS also reporting that he has rejected other job offers since leaving the Bernabeu.
