Zlatan Ibrahimovic explains why Zinedine Zidane is exactly what France need after Kylian Mbappe & Co's disappointing semi-final exit against Spain

Didier Deschamps' long and storied tenure as the head coach of France is reaching its conclusion. The dream of ending his 14-year reign with another World Cup trophy evaporated on Tuesday night following a 2-0 loss to Spain. While Deschamps prepares to lead his side one last time in the third-place play-off in Miami, the footballing world is already looking toward his successor.

Zidane has long been the frontrunner to take over the national team, and former Paris Saint-Germain icon Ibrahimovic believes the former Real Madrid boss is the perfect fit. Speaking as a consultant for Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic noted that the French squad appeared "dull" against the Spanish side and lacked the spark necessary to reach the final.

"Zidane did a good job, he was at Real Madrid," Ibrahimovic stated. "He won three Champions Leagues. We all know that he is going to take the national team. I think he will just continue to do the work that Deschamps has built. It's not difficult to choose the players. He has the players. Then, he must bring his management to the team, the way he wants to do it. But I believe he is more of a manager type rather than a coach because this team doesn't need a coach. They need a manager."

Throughout his managerial career, Zidane has only ever coached Real Madrid, where he orchestrated a historic golden era between 2016 and 2018, winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles and a La Liga trophy, among numerous other honors. He returned for a second spell with the Spanish giants between 2019 and 2021, securing another La Liga title. Although he was offered the opportunity to coach the United States national team following the 2022 World Cup, Zidane turned down the offer, remaining without a team as he continues to hold out for the France national team job.

Following the match, Deschamps criticized the standard of refereeing, taking particular issue with the penalty awarded to Lamine Yamal which led to Spain's opening goal, before ultimately admitting that Spain was the superior team in the clash. Reflecting on the semi-final loss, Ibrahimovic pointed out where he felt the current setup failed to adapt to the flow of the game. "Obviously, today, a few different things could have been added during the match," he added. "That's the difficult part for a coach and that's why they're coaches or managers. They have to find and know the timing of things, when to change.""

Ibrahimovic was critical of the energy levels shown by the French players during the high-stakes encounter. "I felt today that the French players were not 'alive,' they were not active. Obviously, you don't want to take a goal from Spain and then run after the ball, they could have done more. Spain was the better team," the Swede admitted, acknowledging that the better side progressed to the final.

Despite calling for change, Ibrahimovic maintained a level of high praise for the departing Deschamps. "There are few incredible players who have also been incredible coaches," he had previously noted. "He had already won a World Cup, he won a Nations League, he lost a final of the Euro and one of the World Cup... People think it's easy, because he has a lot of stars on the pitch, but it's not easy, there are so many things around that you have to lead, have control. They always harvest the trophies, and when they don't get it, they remain among the best, at the top, they miss the last match."