Zinedine Zidane reaches verbal agreement to finally return to football

Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane is on the brink of making his long-awaited return to management, more than 1,700 days after last taking charge of a match.

Zidane has not been involved in the game since resigning as Real Madrid manager in 2021, after Los Blancos lost out to local rivals Atletico in a title race that went down to the final day.

Since leaving his post at the Bernabeu, Zidane has been linked with several coaching vacancies, including the Manchester United job after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed from his position in 2021.

Last year, he confirmed his intention to return to the touchline. "I'd like to be the head coach of the France team one day," he said at the Trento Sports Festival in October. "I will surely return to coaching."

And on Sunday evening, a report from French publication Le Parisien confirmed that Zidane will be the next manager of the French national team.

Zidane led Real to three consecutive Champions League trophies during his first spell in charge. Image credit: Getty

The 53-year-old has already struck a verbal agreement with the French Football Federation (FFF) to succeed Didier Deschamps after this year's World Cup, according to the report.

Philippe Diallo, the president of the FFF, recently confirmed that Deschamps' replacement has been decided.

“Yes, I know his name,” he told Le Figaro. “We need a profile that ticks many boxes and that can also garner the support of the French people, since this French national football team is the team of the French.”

Zidane has previously expressed his desire to manage the national team. “I’d like to be the head coach of the France team one day,” he said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I will surely return to coaching. Me at Juventus? I don’t know why it didn’t happen. I always keep that team in my heart because it gave me a lot,” he added.

Didier Deschamps explains why he will step down from France job after 2026 World Cup

Zidane is all set to succeed Didier Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018, as well as a second consecutive final in 2022.

Didier Deschamps will step down after this summer's World Cup. Image credit: Getty

Deschamps confirmed his intention to step down from the role after this summer's tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"I've been here since 2012, I'm scheduled until 2026, the next World Cup," Deschamps said in January last year. "It will stop there because it has to stop there at some point. In my head, it's very clear.

"I did my time with the same desire, the same passion to keep the French team at the highest level. We never want it to end when it's a beautiful thing. Afterwards we have to know how to say stop.

"There is life after. I don't know what it will be, but it will be very good too. It's going to be 14 years, that's a long time too."

He added: "I'm not here for the records, especially the demands. The most important thing is that the French team remains at the top where it has been for many years."