French legend Zinedine Zidane recently revealed his ambition to become a manager. The former French international has been appointed as the assistant manager to Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, but he says that the prospect of managing a team has been growing within him over the last few years. Zidane was initially expected to become a director of football at a major club, but he reveals that management is what he’s after right now. This has increased to the respect of the former Real Madrid man to take over the French national team.
Zidane’s last involvement with the national team was in the 2006 World Cup final when he managed to get himself sent off after head-butt on Inter Milan defender Materazzi. The French national team has been going through a transitional phase since then. They have been unable to hit the heights of recent years, which has led to the appointment of Didier Deschamps. He has managed to steady the ship and they are expected to do well at the 2014 World Cup. However, Deschamps has a contract with the national team only till 2016.
He is unlikely to renew it, as he may look to returning to club football. Deschamps says that Zidane could potentially be a future manager for the French national team.
“It’s possible. Why not? He has graduated, he wants to be in this place, so why not. After 2016, I don’t know what I’ll do,” said Deschamps.
France will be taking on Switzerland, Honduras, and Ecuador in the group E of the World Cup. Hence, they are rated as the favourites to get into the knockout stages, which they failed to do in the last World Cup. It was a forgetful affair for the national team, as it was marred by a lot of infighting within the team.