CORNERFLICK
Zinedine Zidane has agreed a deal in principle with the French Football Federation to become France head coach, according to Fabrizio Romano and L’Équipe.
The former World Cup winner had not seriously considered other offers in recent months, with the France job understood to have been his clear priority. He is now said to be working on the make-up of his new staff, focusing on trusted long-time colleagues.
L’Équipe reports that Zidane wants to alter the current structure deliberately and reshape the way the squad operates behind the scenes. He also has specific ideas about how France should play, with the plan not simply to carry on Didier Deschamps’s methods.
The appointment would mark the start of a major new cycle for France after Deschamps, who has been in charge since 2012. Zidane won the 1998 World Cup with France as a player and later lifted the European Championship, before making history as Real Madrid head coach with three straight Champions League titles and two La Liga wins.