Zidane waited for France - now can he harness their star power?

Zidane waited for France - now can he harness their star power? In September, the France national squad will feature a new face on the touchline for the first time in 14 years. By the time the appointment was announced on Tuesday morning, it had long been an open secret that Zinedine Zidane would succeed Didier Deschamps this summer. Discussions between the former Real Madrid manager and French football authorities began as early as early as February 2025, following Deschamps’ announcement a few weeks earlier that he would step down after the February 2025, shortly after Deschamps revealed his intention to depart following the 2026 World Cup. At his unveiling in Paris, Zidane emphasized the period he had spent waiting on the sidelines and preparing for the role. "I had respective offers successful the past 4 or 5 years, but I turned them each down," an affectional Zidane said. "The nationalist squad is the lone happening I wanted." While his enthusiasm for taking the position dominated Tuesday morning’s press briefing in the French capital, the midfield legend offered few specifics about his tactical approach. When questioned about Kylian Mbappé’s captaincy, he sidestepped the issue: "The astir important happening for him present is to rest, we'll person the accidental to talk successful September." Asked about his preferred style of play, Zidane avoided delving into details. "I can't explicate to you successful conscionable a mates of words however we're going win. I person to arrive, conscionable with the players, and explicate my plans to them. After that, it'll beryllium up to maine to support this squad winning." Nevertheless, he confirmed his intention "to bash things differently." He also indicated that there would be a measure of "continuation" from the work of his predecessor, which he praised. "I'm going to effort bash what I cognize however to, but it won't beryllium a implicit interruption either." The question remains: what will Zidane bring to the French dugout?