Former Arsenal and France youth international Jérémie Aliadière has endorsed Zinedine Zidane as the ideal candidate to take charge of the French national team, claiming the former Real Madrid manager possesses an unrivalled authority that would ensure immediate buy-in from players such as Kylian Mbappé.
Speaking exclusively to Get French Football News, Aliadière reflected on Didier Deschamps’ 14-year tenure following France’s World Cup semi-final elimination, praising the departing coach for delivering World Cup glory both as a player and as a manager while successfully navigating a dressing room filled with superstar egos.
Deschamps’ enduring legacy
Aliadière defended Deschamps’ record despite recent disappointment, emphasising the difficulty of managing a squad boasting the Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé alongside Mbappé, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué. He noted that Deschamps prioritised collective mentality over individual talent, often leaving gifted players on the bench to preserve squad harmony.
“You can’t forget everything he has done,” Aliadière stated regarding Deschamps, who guided France to World Cup success in 2018 after winning the tournament as a player in 1998. “He has done a very, very good job and I think that we must not forget that.”
The Zidane factor
Aliadière believes Zidane’s appointment would bring a different dimension to the role, primarily through the instant respect his name generates among modern players. Zidane collected multiple titles during his successful spell at Real Madrid, and Aliadière suggests this pedigree would translate seamlessly to the international stage.
“What Zidane has over everyone else is that he is Zidane,” Aliadière explained. “When you’re Zidane all the players, even Mbappé, are going to listen to you.”
He added: “When Zidane walks into the changing room you listen and I think that he will have a very good relationship with all the players.”
World Cup target awaits
The former striker highlighted the wealth of attacking talent Zidane would inherit, suggesting the next coach must continue Deschamps’ delicate balancing act of managing elite individuals while fostering team unity. Aliadière argued that Zidane’s legendary status would facilitate this process, with players eager to join his project and accept tactical instruction without resistance.
“That’s how he succeeded, pretty easily, at Real Madrid, winning titles – because the players listened to him,” Aliadière noted. “All the players will want to be part of his project, to be with Zidane, to listen and to take the team to victory.”
Aliadière concluded that to truly surpass Deschamps’ achievements, Zidane must ultimately win the World Cup. With a generation of French talent already developed and hungry for success, the next manager will inherit a squad capable of challenging for major honours, provided he can maintain the delicate harmony his predecessor cultivated.