Deschamps: Zidane 'natural' candidate to take France job

PARIS (AP) — France coach Didier Deschamps sees Zinedine Zidane as a "natural" candidate to take over when he steps down from the national team.

Deschamps announced last month that he will stop after the 2026 World Cup, ending a successful reign which began in 2012 and saw France win the 2018 World Cup and reach the 2022 final.

Speculation has been high — even before Deschamps made his announcement — that Zidane would take over eventually. Many see the former midfield great as the people's choice and Deschamps does not disagree.

"Zizou (Zidane) is a very good candidate, a natural and an expected one," Deschamps said in an interview with sports daily L'Equipe published Friday. "But then again, I don't know if he will want it."

The 52-year-old Zidane has not coached since ending his second spell in charge of Real Madrid, leading the Spanish giant to three Champions League and two La Liga titles.

Zidane and Deschamps played together in midfield — as magical creator and tough enforcer — when Les Bleus won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship two years later.

France lost to Spain at the semifinal stage of last year's Euros, where Kylian Mbappe broke his nose and failed to score enough goals.

"But at the Euro (Mbappe) wasn't the only one," Deschamps said. "Most of the attacking players weren't at their best for different reasons, and that impacted our competition."

Amid a difficult start to his Real Madrid career Mbappe was left out of two squads by Deschamps, prompting talk of a rift. In December, a rape investigation in Stockholm that Swedish media said focused on Mbappe was dropped.

In an interview that aired on French TV station Canal Plus, Mbappe said that he had not even been contacted by Swedish authorities and that he reacted with disbelief when reports emerged following his visit to Stockholm.

Mbappe has found his form again and is scoring regularly. Deschamps said he will be called back into the squad in March for Nations League games against Croatia.

"He will be there," Deschamps said. "He is very attached to the French team, even if he had a complicated period."

Deschamps could not guarantee he will still be captain, because it also depends on what Mbappe wants.

"For my part, yes, he will be captain," he said. "But I will talk with him, as we often do."

Deschamps added in the interview that he does not regret his decision to step down next year.

"I am not tired or worn out, but I feel that I have done my time. All good things must come to an end," he said. "The French team is a very good thing, because it represents twenty-five years of my professional life when I combine my two lives."

He ruled out taking over another national team but remains open to resuming his career at club level.

Before taking charge of France, he guided Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final and won the Ligue 1 title with Marseille in 2010.

"I will decide based on what is offered to me," he said. "There are plenty of possibilities."

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