After five years away from the touchline, Zinedine Zidane is increasingly expected to become the next coach of the French national team.
Since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, the former France No. 10 has kept a low profile, turning down opportunities and waiting for what he considered the right moment to return to elite football.
That moment now appears to be approaching with Didier Deschamps' departure, paving the way for a figure long regarded as his natural successor.
The handover between the two men carries special significance in French football history.
Deschamps and Zidane were teammates during France's victorious 1998 World Cup campaign.
The former captain represented leadership, discipline and collective organization, while Zidane embodied the creativity and attacking brilliance of that generation. Nearly three decades later, their paths could cross again, this time in very different roles.
However, Zidane's potential appointment is not only a sporting matter.
A reform of professional sports adopted by the French Parliament created uncertainty over the salaries of senior employees within sports federations and professional leagues.
The initial version of the legislation introduced a salary cap set at three times the French social security ceiling, about 12,000 euros ($13,685) gross per month. Such a limit could have affected several high-level positions, including that of the national team coach.
The lawmakers behind the reform quickly argued that an overly strict cap could weaken the ability of French sports organizations to attract experienced and highly qualified figures. Michel Savin, a senator and one of the authors of the report behind the reform, said federations and leagues needed to remain capable of recruiting individuals whose expertise and career records matched the responsibilities of major positions.
During the joint parliamentary committee review, the measure was revised. The annual salary ceiling was raised to 450,000 euros, while an exemption mechanism was introduced for certain strategic roles. The measure does not target football alone or any specific individual. It applies to positions where remuneration must reflect international market conditions.
The role of the France national team coach falls into this category. If the proposed salary exceeds the legal limit, the French Football Federation will be able to request approval from the Sports Ministry. However, senators stressed that the minister will not choose the coach or determine the salary. The decision will remain in the hands of the federation, with the government only authorizing a possible exemption.
According to Laurent Lafon, chairman of the Senate's Committee on Culture, Education, Communication and Sport, the assessment should take into account salaries paid in other major football nations.
The remuneration of France's coach will be compared with those of national team managers in countries such as Spain, Germany and England to determine whether exceeding the cap is justified.
This legal adjustment removes a potential obstacle to Zidane's arrival. The former Real Madrid manager has a unique profile.
A World Cup winner with France in 1998 as a player, he also guided Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018, strengthening his reputation as one of the most successful coaches of his generation.
Since leaving Madrid, Zidane has taken a different path from many coaches of his stature. He stepped away from the spotlight, spending much of his time with his family and making only occasional public appearances through charity events and professional commitments.
During the 2026 World Cup, he remained particularly discreet, attending matches mainly to support his son Luca, a goalkeeper, without interfering with the French team's campaign.
His decision was seen as a sign of respect toward Deschamps and his squad. Although his name had been mentioned for years as the future successor to the France coach, Zidane avoided public comments that could have created unwanted pressure or media competition while Deschamps was still in charge.
His patience, however, never changed his desire to eventually lead Les Bleus. In a 2022 interview with L'Equipe, Zidane said his story with the French national team was not over and that coaching France remained a special ambition.
France is now preparing to turn an important page in its football history. Following the Deschamps era, which included the 2018 World Cup title and several deep runs in major tournaments, Zidane would inherit a team already established among the world's elite.
His task would not be to rebuild the squad but to bring his own vision to a group that already possesses a strong winning culture.
