Zinedine Zidane: The France manager has revealed that he turned down the job he got five years ago to coach the national team | Football News

New France coach Zinedine Zidane has revealed that he has turned down many job opportunities over the past five years – because he only wants to manage Les Bleus.

Zidane was announced as France’s new coach at a press conference on Monday morning after Didier Deschamps resigned.

The World Cup winner has been out of work for five years since leaving for a second spell as Real Madrid coach – and has been linked with top positions in world football, including Manchester United.

“Four or five years ago, I had offers to join the club and I turned them all down for the French national team,” Zidane said in his first press conference as France manager. “This job is the only job I wanted to do after my job with Real Madrid.

“I always saw the French national team from a fan’s point of view – but also as a future manager. That’s why I didn’t take a new team for the club.

“I told myself that the only thing I wanted to do after Real Madrid was the French national team. I kept myself away from those teams. I had very good plans, and I could do it for two or three years.

“But since Deschamps’ decision at the beginning of 2025 to step down after the next World Cup, the next day I was happy and said I wanted to be his successor.

“So I met with the president in February 2025 and it led us here.”

‘I know how to win’ – but will Zidane follow Deschamps’ style of play?

Zidane is expected to follow Deschamps’ successful tenure with the French national team.

In that 12-year period, France won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League – while they were European champions and World Cup runners-up in 2016 and 2022.

However, Zidane has told the French Football Federation that he is also capable of winning. During his time as manager of Real Madrid, he won two La Liga titles and three consecutive Champions League trophies between 2016 and 2018.

Speaking about those talks, French FA president Phillippe Diallo added: “I told him it’s a great honor and a great responsibility because the last few years have been amazing.

“We needed to find someone who would give us the confidence to lead us in the same way as I hope in the coming years.

“When I met Zinedine in February 2025, after Didier was announced, he told me: ‘Mr President, I know how to win’.

“When he said that, I knew he had the desire and confidence to manage the team.”

Speaking about leaving Deschamps, Zidane said: “The run of the team and the way they play was very good. I was there in person and I had a good time like other fans. There are no complaints about the way things went.

“In fact, we will do things differently. Didier Deschamps is Didier Deschamps. Laurent Blanc was Laurent Blanc. Zizou is Zizou. I will try to do what I know how to do.

“It’s not a clean break either. I want to keep going so that the French team can keep winning.”

‘I haven’t moved my thumbs for five years’

Zidane reiterated that he is not worried about managing the national team for the first time, adding that the French team has great potential.

“No worries,” said Zidane. “It’s a job that’s completely different from that of coaching clubs, it doesn’t scare me.

“I will have a balance between my personal life and the French national team. It suits me well. It’s a different kind of work, and I don’t mind that.

“I didn’t keep moving my thumbs for five years. I watched more games than when I coached Real Madrid. I saw a lot of them. I watched the French national team a lot, and they have a lot of energy.”