Diallo Sets Zidane's Roadmap: Three Targets, a Spanish Model

Philippe Diallo delivered a positive assessment of Zinedine Zidane’s first camp as head coach of the French national team, while setting him a precise roadmap centered on three major competitions.

Three wins and a draw: the new France manager concluded his maiden tournament at the top of his group, following Sunday’s victory at Stade de France against Belgium. The next day, while Zidane remained in Paris to debrief with his staff, the president of the French Football Federation traveled to Gironde to meet elected officials and employees of the Leagues and Districts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie, according to Sud Ouest. It was there that he shared his thoughts on these early days.

“We hadn’t changed manager for 14 years. It wasn’t easy to choose someone who would ensure continuity of performance. Zinedine Zidane’s name stood out because he is an icon of French football and because he proved himself as a coach at Real Madrid,” Diallo said. “In the end, we took 10 points and we’re top of the group.”

The FFF chief nonetheless tempered his enthusiasm: “Not everything was perfect but I believe we gave football fans some enjoyment.” He then specified the three targets that will structure Zidane’s mandate: the 2027 Nations League, Euro 2028, and the 2030 World Cup. “Zinedine is here to try to win,” he summed up.

To achieve this, Diallo intends to draw on the Spanish model, which eliminated France in the Nations League semi-final, at the Euros, and at the World Cup. He announced the creation of a think tank bringing together Zidane, national technical director Hubert Fournier, as well as Marc Keller and Baptiste Malherbe, members of the federal executive committee.

“Spain is world champion and shines in many competitions. Zidane can bring us his Spanish experience, not to copy it but to draw inspiration from it to be even more successful,” Diallo explained. The stated objective is to establish “greater cohesion between the youth team managers” and overall coordination of the national selections. “In Spain, from U15 to the senior team, there is a style of play and it works,” he concluded.