French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet has spoken out on reports linking Zinedine Zidane with the France job in the near future.
The 49-year-old has been without a club for almost a year following his departure from Real Madrid at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
During his time as a free agent, a number of reports have suggested that the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner has rejected and will continue to reject offers from clubs as he eyes the France job.
However, there is an obstacle in his path as Didier Deschamps is currently the national team’s manager and Les Bleus are tipped to be one of the favorites to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicking off in November after the former Juventus and Chelsea midfielder led his star-studded side to victory at the global showpiece in Russia in 2018.
FFF president Le Graet has now shed light on Zidane potentially joining the French set-up, and named a club he could join before the national team position becomes available to him.
“First of all, you have to be careful what you say,” the 80-year-old told L’Equipe.
“Zidane showed Madrid that he had qualities that were barely imagined.
“In the minds of the French, he may be a successor. But that’s not my goal. We’ll see.
“If Didier and I separate, he [Zidane] will surely be one of the options.
“You see me saying today: ‘Is it Zidane who will replace Deschamps?’ We’ll see.
“Zidane might take on Paris Saint-Germain.
“For the France team, you have to be free. But today, we are going to do everything to put Didier in the best conditions to win this World Cup.”
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