PARIS, July 23 (Bernama-dpa) — Zinédine Zidane is set to be presented as France coach on Tuesday after the French Football Federation (FFF) called a press conference to unveil the new boss, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Just like the German Football Federation, which announced a press conference for Friday without naming Jürgen Klopp as its coach, the FFF’s statement on Thursday did not mention Zidane by name, although his appointment has been an open secret for months.
Just like the Germans, the FFF will hold a meeting to rubber-stamp the deal just before the unveiling.
Reports say 54-year-old Zidane, who won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 as a France player, has signed a contract with Les Bleus until mid-2030.
He would succeed Didier Deschamps, who has stepped down after 14 years following the 2018 winners’ fourth-place finish at the World Cup.
Zidane coached Real Madrid from 2016 to 2018 and then again from 2019 to 2021, winning the Champions League three times and the Spanish league title twice.
In his last match as a professional, Zidane lost the 2006 World Cup final to Italy and was sent off after a headbutt.
— BERNAMA-dpa