Zidane as France manager: a natural authority that even surpasses Mourinho

Zinédine Zidane has taken charge of the France national team, ending fourteen years of Didier Deschamps’ reign. Five years after leaving Real Madrid, the former number 10 returns to the touchline with his first fixtures scheduled for September.

Even before the Bleus take the pitch under his command, Zidane’s management style is taking shape through his own words and those of his inner circle. From his early days on the bench in 2018, he laid out the foundations of his philosophy in an interview with L’Équipe: “I accept many things but there are rules to respect. Someone who arrives late, for example, I really don’t like that. You have to be close to the players, with empathy. I’ve never been someone strict. I like rules, I know what I want. I’ve always been respected, even when I was playing.”

This balance between trust and discipline is confirmed by David Bettoni, his loyal assistant who will join him on the French national team staff. Far from the image of a coach who favours direct confrontation, Bettoni describes a technician who knows how to make himself heard without raising his voice. “He’s not the type to crack down, to shout all the time in the dressing room, but at a certain point, he makes it clear that he’s not happy. Especially when a lack of discipline affects the collective work,” he said.

Journalist Frédéric Hermel, a former correspondent in Madrid and regular contributor to the daily AS, goes even further. He reports testimony from a source inside the Madrid dressing room, according to which Zidane exercises stronger authority than José Mourinho. “Zidane is more authoritative in the dressing room than Mourinho. He has this natural authority. And once he’s won so many titles, that commands even more respect,” he said on RTL.

This quiet authority, backed by an exceptional trophy cabinet, could quickly structure the daily life of a French dressing room seeking fresh impetus after the Deschamps era.