"We have the best manager in French football in place until 2026" - FFF president closes door on Zinedine Zidane managing France

Zinedine Zidane's reported hopes of managing the France national team have been dashed, as FFP president Phillipe Diallo revealed that Didier Deschamps will continue in the position until 2026.

There has been a great deal of conjecture on Zidane potentially assuming the post. It's widely believed that the Real Madrid legend has long been interested in leading the country, but the door has been shut for the foreseeable future.

Didier Deschamps' contract was extended through 2026 after he guided France to a successful showing at the World Cup in Qatar. They reached the final but lost against Argentina on penalties. Former FFF president Noel Le Graet made this choice and Diallo has now made it clear that he has no intentions of changing this.

The current FFF president revealed in an interview with Le Figaro that Deschamps's position was unaffected safe till 2026, saying (via GFFN):

“ZInedine Zidane is one of the monuments of French football, that’s the first thing, which is to show gratitude and gratefulness for everything that he has brought to the French people. But then there is the other thing, which is that we have the best manager in French football in place until 2026. That’s all that needs to be said."

Zidane hasn't held a management position since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021. Although he seems to have been on the hunt for the France gig, he will need to search for work outside of the French national team for the time being.

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Zinedine Zidane features as Real Madrid legends play Porto legends

Real Madrid legends took against Porto legends at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, March 23. Among the stars, 51-year-old Zinedine Zidane showed he still had his extraordinary abilities. However, he couldn't lead the Blaugrana legends to a win as Marek Cech's goal in the ninth minute helped Porto win the match 1-0.

There were other notable players like Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Clarence Seedorf, Luis Figo, and Raul. Zidane was quite impressive, even at his age, as he linked well with legends like Raul, to the delight of those in attendance.

Since the amazing period he spent at the helm of Real Madrid, Zidane has not taken up management again. He led them to a UEFA Champions League three-peat in his first stint and a La Liga win in the second, among other honors.