It has been a battle between the former teammates of the French national team. Deschamps has led Les Bleus with great success, but after the 2022 World Cup, it went towards a change of coach. Deschamps had initially signalled he was ready for new challenges, Zidane had waited patiently for the opportunity after stepping down as Real Madrid coach in 2021.
Then came the change, where the then president of the French Football Federation actively worked to keep Zidane out. Deschamps was persuaded to extend until after the 2026 World Cup. Now Deschamps has announced that he will not be joining a new extension, while at the same time using words that may sound like a recommendation of the French legend he has kept out of Les Bleus.
“There is a lot of respect between us. Zizou is a very good candidate, natural and obvious (replacement),” Deschamps told L’Equipe.
