Zinedine Zidane, the new France head coach, revealed at his first press conference after his official appointment on Tuesday that he had turned down numerous offers to coach major clubs over the past years in order to wait for the chance to lead "Les Bleus". Coaching the national team was "the only thing" he wanted to do after leaving Real Madrid in 2021, he confirmed, and this day represented "a dream come true" after years of waiting and anticipation.
With French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo alongside him, Zidane told the press conference: "Today is a continuation of my journey, and a dream come true. I received offers to take charge of clubs over 4 or 5 years, but I turned them all down for the France national team. It is the only thing I wanted to do. I knew this from a young age, I started in the youth ranks, and I went through all the stages until I reached the senior team. I will do my utmost so that this team continues to achieve victories, that is my only motivation."
A tribute to Deschamps
In a message directed at his predecessor Didier Deschamps, Zidane said: "I praise Didier's efforts, and this is an opportunity to say well done to him. Something new will begin, but the goal is always the same: to win. I will do my utmost for this team. I am eagerly looking forward to joining it," in a clear tribute to the coach who led France to the 2018 World Cup title.
He made no attempt to hide his overflowing emotions. "It is immense joy. I am happy with what is happening to me. I cannot find any other words. I am reining in my emotions because I feel so many things inside me. I am ready for the challenge," he said, adding: "Winning in 1998 is the best thing that happened to me in my life, winning with my friends. I spent those four or five years waiting for this day. I am deeply moved, it may not show on me, but I am extremely happy."
Diallo: he told me I know how to win
Philippe Diallo revealed the details of that first meeting. "It is a source of great pride and responsibility, because when these years come to an end, you need to find someone trustworthy to continue this path," the federation president said. "When I met Zinedine in February 2025, he said to me: Mr President, I know how to win. I felt he was someone with the desire and confidence to lead the France national team to victory."
An attacking style of play
Asked about his coaching philosophy, Zidane said: "You will see my style soon, and we will hold a press conference in September. I am passionate about the game. I was a number 10, and what motivates me is scoring goals. I lived in Spain for 25 years, and you know what that means. I was a leader on the pitch, and today I am gaining experience that qualifies me to be a leader," in reference to how he was influenced by the attacking Spanish school during his long years at Real Madrid.
On his plan to achieve victories, Zidane said: "I cannot explain how to achieve victory in a few words. I have an exceptional team that is ready. I have to be realistic, meet the players, explain the game plan to them, and what we will do together. After that, as a coach I will have to continue leading this team towards victory."
A conscious decision
The wait for the France job was deliberate, Zidane confirmed, and carefully weighed. "I always looked at this team as a future coach. I did not take charge of any club for this reason. The only thing I wanted to do after Real Madrid is to coach the France national team. I could have taken on a project for 3 years given that Deschamps was there. He made that decision in January 2025, and the very next day I knew that I wanted to be the next coach. We met with the president and the agreement was concluded."
Balancing his personal life with the new job will not be a problem, he insisted. "There is no confusion. It is something different from a club. But this does not scare me. This is what I wanted to do. I will strike a balance between my personal life and the France national team, and that suits me perfectly."
No contact with Mbappé (the captain) so far
He has yet to speak to star forward Kylian Mbappé. "We have not spoken with Kylian; the most important thing for him is rest. We will have the opportunity to talk about all of this with him and with all the players soon in September," Zidane said.
The priority is the first match against Turkey
On the upcoming matches, Zidane said: "It is not only about Spain. They are a strong team. My priority is the first match, which is against Turkey. We have 4 matches in September. I will spend nearly 3 weeks with the players, which is great for preparation," pointing out that the clash against Italy in October carries a special character for him: "Italy is special because I played there, I know the people there, and I speak Italian. I have been preparing for these four matches for some time now."
Zidane is Zidane"
Comparing his approach to those of his predecessors, Zidane said: "The France national team's performance was excellent. There is nothing for the fans to complain about. We will change our style. Deschamps is Deschamps, and Zidane is Zidane. I will do what I am good at. I will ensure continuity of performance so that the France national team continues to achieve victories."
A coaching staff from Real Madrid
His backroom team is already in place. "My close working and technical team is already in place, and it is practically the same team that was with me throughout all these years at Real Madrid, with only two or three members added. I am loyal in this regard, and we will continue the journey with these few people," Zidane revealed.
5 years of watching and preparing
What did he do during the five years since leaving Real Madrid? "I was not wasting my time, rather I watched a lot of matches, even more than I used to watch when I was Real Madrid coach. I watched a lot of France national team matches as a whole, and I saw a lot of things."