Announced as the successor to Didier Deschamps on the bench of the French team, Zinedine Zidane will have to start from scratch following the extension for three and a half years of his ex-partner with the Blues. What future for the 1998 Ballon d’Or?
Zidane will wait (again) for the Blues.
Didier Deschamps decided to extend the adventure. Despite the disappointment of the final lost in Qatar, the coach of the France team was entitled to a new contract which now runs until the 2026 World Cup.
Good news for the Basque, much less for Zinedine Zidane. While planning to succeed his ex-partner with the Blues, the 1998 Ballon d’Or saw the door close for at least three and a half more years.
No disappointment for Zidane
In its edition of the day, L’Equipe evokes the feelings of the Marseillais after this choice of the FFF. And contrary to what one might think, Zidane is not that bad. Unemployed since his departure from Real Madrid 18 months ago, the ex-playmaker enjoys his life away from the cameras, enjoying his family, he who was the wedding of his eldest son at the end of the year in the strictest privacy. Even if the opportunity to take over the French team after the World Cup in Qatar presented itself well to him, the Southerner knows that the door is not definitively closed, he who will only be 54 years old in 2026.
His love of the France team should also push him to refuse the approaches of many selections interested in his profile. In Brazil, where Tite has not yet been replaced, his popularity rating is at its highest for attempting a collaboration as improbable as it is enticing. Nevertheless, the language barrier and the desire not to embark on a medium-long term project with another selection are hampering this rapprochement between the two parties, while the United States and Portugal, who have also come to inquire, have been rejected for the same reasons.
Still three solid options for Zidane
Until then, Zidane could look to bounce back at a club. There too, the options are quite few. There was a time talk of a return to Juventus, where he played between 1996 and 2001. The new Turin management could also look into his case depending on the results of Massimiliano Allegri, shaken since the kick-off some exercice. The alternative Real Madrid, after two successful stints on the bench, still exists, since Carlo Ancelotti has already made it known that he was not going to drag on in the White House. A return to the fold which is not to be ruled out as Zidane and Florentino Prez appreciate each other.
Finally, there is Paris Saint-Germain. This is the ultimate dream of Qatari leaders. The one who made the heyday of Bordeaux declined the invitation from Parisian decision-makers last summer, while waiting for the French team. With the blue horizon blocked, can Zidane reconsider his decision in the event of a new approach? Never say never. Especially when you’re coaching today. When I was a player, I had the choice, almost all the clubs. Coach, there aren’t fifty clubs I can go to. There are two or three possibilities , he explained recently. One thing is certain: the rumors will be rife in the coming months.
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