Zinedine Zidane will return to dealing with the media when he officially takes up the post of new head coach of the French national team.
The newspaper "L'Équipe" reckons a fresh media challenge awaits him. Zidane is a man of few words with a reserved personality.
Most coaches embrace daily press conferences and frequent statements. Zidane has always done things differently. He built his career on reticence, though over the years he learned to land his messages with greater clarity.
"He is obsessed with the choice of words," says one of those close to him. The French coach weighs every phrase with great care before uttering it, fully aware that any statement he makes can turn into a headline in media outlets around the world.
Across his two spells with Real Madrid, Zidane's approach to the press developed gradually. He leaned towards short, concise answers at first, but grew more comfortable over time, whether in French or Spanish, until he could explain his ideas and positions with far greater ease.
None of that cost him the reserved streak that sets him apart. He does not like stirring up controversy, nor does he seek the front of the media scene. He prefers to let the results speak for themselves. His achievements, above all leading Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, earned him respect without the need for long speeches.
Back in the spotlight, he now has to manage the French media in a completely different context. Leading a national team means constantly dealing with public opinion, fielding questions on technical choices, handling crises and commenting on players' performances, all under a permanent media microscope.
His special status in France only multiplies the challenge. He is not just a new coach but one of the greatest athletes in the country's history, so every word he says will be picked apart and interpreted.
That first media appearance as France coach will be a real test. Five years away from the pitch, Zidane returns to the press conference podium, where a challenge no less important than the sporting one awaits him: how to use his words.
For a man who built part of his legend on silence, the coming stage demands a balance between the reticence that defines him and the communication that comes with leading the France national team.