Even after a five-year hiatus, Zidane is different... The end of the 14th-year Deschamps era sparks explosive expectations for the return of 'France's greatest legend'

*This content was translated by AI.

The French national football team is preparing for a new era after 14 years. 'Legend' Zinedine Zidane is strongly being mentioned as the next head coach.

Reuters reported on the 15th (Korea time) that "the 14th-year term of Didier Deschamps, France's national team coach, will come to an end after the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup third-place match," adding that "although he has not been officially appointed yet, Zidane is a strong candidate for the successor."

It further explained that "France's exit from the World Cup semi-finals once again dealt a major blow to one of the generations with the most outstanding talent in history," but added that "a new era is approaching amid expectations that Zidane will unite the players' exceptional individual skills and lead France to its third-ever World Cup title."

European football expert Fabrizio Romano also conveyed news that "Zidane is ready to take over as the new head coach of the French national team."

Currently, the French national team is led by Coach Deschamps. Since 2012 until this year, Coach Deschamps has commanded the 'Bleus' for a remarkable 14 years, leaving behind significant achievements.

Even during the 2010 South Africa World Cup, France faced fierce criticism due to internal team divisions and poor performance. However, after taking over, Deschamps succeeded in rebuilding the fractured team. He led them to win the 2018 Russia World Cup and achieved the feat of reaching the semi-finals in three consecutive World Cups: the 2022 Qatar World Cup and this North America tournament.

However, there were clear limitations as well. Although they consistently delivered strong results in major tournaments, they reached the summit only once at the 2018 Russia World Cup. Especially at crucial junctures, France repeatedly faced Spain and had to bow their heads. France lost consecutively to Spain in both Euro 2024 and the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.

The result did not change in this tournament either. France lost 0-2 to Spain in the North America World Cup semi-final held at Dallas Stadium in the United States today.

Reuters noted that "this marks France's third consecutive loss to Spain in a major tournament semi-final," pointing out that "numerous talents such as Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola (all Paris Saint-Germain) missed another opportunity for the title."

Because of this, a mood favoring changes in the national team has formed in France. According to the French media Le Monde, about 70% of the French public supports Ji Dan-ui (CEO)'s appointment as head coach.

Zidane is not only a legend in French football but also one of the most renowned figures in world football history. As a player, he led France to victory in the 1998 World Cup held domestically and Euro 2000. He also built an illustrious career as a coach. As head coach of Real Madrid, he lifted a total of 11 trophies, including the Spanish La Liga and UEFA Champions League (UCL). In particular, he proved his coaching prowess by achieving the monumental feat of winning the UCL three times in a row.

There are no worries to be had, however. It has been a long time since Zidane left the sidelines. After leaving Real Madrid in May 2021, he did not manage any team for about five years. There are also concerns that his long absence from the bench could become an issue amidst the rapidly changing trends of modern football.

However, French national team players rate Zidane's potential for success highly. In an interview with French publication L'Équipe last year, Mbappé said regarding the possibility of Zidane taking over the team that "no one would refuse." Recently, Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) also expressed his expectations, stating, "Zidane is a born winner. He will surely do great things with the French national team as well." Laurent Blanc, the former coach who led the French national team, also supported the possibility of Zidane's appointment, saying it would be "very good."

Above all, Zidane has experience leading world-class superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) and Luka Modrić (AC Milan) at Real Madrid to win numerous titles. The ability to unite strong-willed star players and bring out their best performance at critical moments could serve as an advantage for the French national team, which is brimming with top-tier players.

It is also positive that Coach Deschamps has stably operated the long-term Gi Gan (CEO) team and established a solid foundation. Unlike Coach Deschamps, who had to rebuild a broken team from scratch, Zidane will inherit a national team already equipped with world-class player depth and an operational system.

Reuters also evaluated that "Zidane will inherit a much better structure than when Deschamps first took charge of the national team," adding that "currently, France can utilize a rich pool of talent that overwhelms most competing nations."

It further emphasized that "if Zidane takes the helm, his task will not be to discover new players. Instead, it will be to find a 'structure' that can bring the collective abilities possessed by the players to the highest level."

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*This content was translated by AI.