When Belgium flirted with Zidane, France kept him
When Belgium considered appointing Zinédine Zidane as head coach, France placed him on its bench this summer, creating a contrast between the Belgian offer and the French decision, two scenarios revealing opposite ambitions.
Belgian approaches
According to La Dernière Heure, Vincent Mannaert, sporting director of the Belgian Federation, contacted Zinédine Zidane in January 2025 to succeed Domenico Tedesco, recently dismissed from his duties. Zidane immediately declined, preferring to wait until the end of Didier Deschamps's term, scheduled after the 2026 World Cup, before considering the head of the French national team.
The choice of Rudi Garcia
After Zidane's refusal, Belgium appointed the other Frenchman Rudi Garcia, who remained in charge until the 2026 World Cup, where Belgium was eliminated in the quarter‑finals against Spain, scoring the only goal against the Roja. This appointment shows Belgium's persistence in choosing a French coach despite the setback.
Meanwhile, Zinédine Zidane was appointed to the France team’s bench this summer, after a waiting period during which several clubs approached him following the end of his spell with Real Madrid in 2021.
Zidane laments Hazard’s Real flop, Brussels welcomes French stars
Before joining France, Zidane served as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Real Madrid in 2013‑2014, managed Castilla for two seasons, then was promoted to the first‑team bench in January 2016 until 2018. He then resumed the club’s reins in 2019‑2021, amassing eleven trophies including three Champions League titles.
But the 1998 Ballon d’Or quickly faded, reports the Belgian press, reminding that even the greatest can see their brilliance dim. In 2015, while serving as general manager of Club Bruges, Vincent Mannaert was impressed by Zidane’s managerial qualities, who completed a two‑day internship with Eric Roy, Claude Makélélé, Willy Sagnol and Bernard Diomède to validate his UEFA Pro under the supervision of Guy Lacombe.
"He was then the reserve coach at Real," recalls Mannaert. "He was offered to stay in a luxurious establishment in Knokke, but he chose to remain with the team on a training camp." This anecdote illustrates the humility of the future coach.
Van Bommel looks forward to meeting Zidane in the Nations League
On Monday evening, Belgium will face France at 20:45 during the second matchday of the Nations League, a duel that pits the two nations, one of which almost secured its future head coach. The contrast between the Belgian attempt and the French retention reveals a dynamic where each federation pursues its own priorities, while Zidane patiently awaits the right moment to begin his national‑team coaching career.