Emotional Zidane starts his 'dream' job

Forever linked by glory

France lost the World Cup final on penalties in 2022 and lost the European Championship final on home soil in 2016. Some Deschamps critics, among them former France teammate Christophe Dugarry, said he should have won more with the players he had.

Deschamps described an "unbreathable atmosphere" at the end of his tenure, without detailing what the tensions were.

Zidane and Deschamps were different types of midfielders, but are forever linked by glory.

The industrious Deschamps was France's captain and the mercurial Zidane was the creative force when France won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

Affectionately nicknamed "Zizou" his face was beamed onto the Arc de Triomphe the night France celebrated its first World Cup triumph in '98. An inspired Zidane scored two headers in the final in a 3-0 win against Brazil at Stade de France and, later that year, he won the Ballon d'Or.

From humble beginnings

Born in Marseille to Algerian parents, Zidane grew up playing in the estate of La Castellane, which has a giant mural of Zidane on one of its tower blocks. It was on the estate's concrete pitches where Zidane nurtured his incredible balance, to avoid falling on the rock-hard ground.

Zidane's club career took him from Cannes to Bordeaux, and then to two of the world's biggest clubs: Juventus and Madrid.

His international career began in 1994, when he scored two stunning goals against the Czech Republic after coming on as a substitute, in front of his home fans in Bordeaux.

He won league titles with Juve and Madrid and scored a brilliant volley to help Madrid win the Champions League in 2002.

With Zidane carrying an injury, France flopped at the 2002 World Cup — going out in the group stage — but reached the 2006 final after Zidane came out of international retirement.

His performance in a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals was Zidane at his balletic best: a hypnotic combination of drag-backs, step-overs, spins on the ball and flicks over the shoulder.

The Brazilians were in awe and even Ronaldinho — a Ballon d'Or winner himself — seemed captivated.

His 108th and final game for France was against Italy in the final, in which he scored early with a deft Panenka-style penalty for his 31st, and last, international goal.

Then, with millions watching around the world, an infamous moment saw him walk back up the field and slam his forehead into Materazzi's chest, sending the tall defender flying backward.

Zidane trudged past the golden World Cup trophy as he left the field in Berlin, his international career over.

Now, he has another chance to lead Les Bleus to glory.