‘I Rejected Every Club Offer for France’ – Zidane Reveals Why He Stayed Away from Coaching for Five Years

New France head coach Zinedine Zidane has disclosed that he deliberately turned down every managerial offer he received after leaving Real Madrid because he had only one ambition—to one day lead the French national team.

The French football legend made the revelation during his official unveiling as Les Bleus’ new manager, ending years of speculation over why one of football’s most successful coaches remained out of management despite interest from several elite European clubs and national teams.

“I had proposals during these four or five years after I stopped to take over a club,” Zidane said.

“I rejected them all for the France national team because it was the only thing I wanted to do after my experience at Real Madrid.”

The appointment ends a five-year coaching hiatus that began after Zidane left Real Madrid in 2021 following two spells that produced one of the greatest managerial records in modern football.

Across his time at the Santiago Bernabéu, Zidane guided Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, two La Liga crowns, two FIFA Club World Cups and numerous domestic and international honours, cementing his status as one of football’s elite managers.

During those five years away from coaching, Zidane was repeatedly linked with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and several other major clubs. He also emerged as a candidate for Brazil’s national team before Carlo Ancelotti eventually accepted that role.

Despite the lucrative opportunities, the 1998 World Cup winner remained patient, convinced that succeeding Didier Deschamps as France coach represented the perfect next chapter of his career.

His patience has now been rewarded.

The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed Zidane’s appointment on a four-year contract running through the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with the 54-year-old officially replacing Didier Deschamps after the latter’s 14-year reign.

Speaking during his presentation in Paris, Zidane described the opportunity as the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition.

“This is the most important challenge of my coaching career,” he said, adding that managing France had always occupied a unique place in his heart because of his history with the national team.

As a player, Zidane inspired France to their first FIFA World Cup triumph in 1998 before helping Les Bleus win UEFA Euro 2000. He later captained France to the 2006 World Cup final, where his international career ended with the famous red card against Italy after the incident involving Marco Materazzi.

Now, nearly two decades after retiring from international football, Zidane returns with the responsibility of leading a new generation featuring Kylian Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

France’s first competitive fixtures under Zidane will come in the UEFA Nations League later this year before attention turns towards qualification for UEFA Euro 2028.