PARIS: Zinedine Zidane will not be taking over as coach of the French national team any time soon as Didier Deschamps will remain in that job for the rest of his contract, which runs to 2020, the head of the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Friday.

Speculation about Zidane’s possible return to France has intensified since his shock resignation last month as coach of Real Madrid less than a week after leading them to a third successive Champions League crown.

“Didier Deschamps has a contract until 2020... he will stay until 2020,” FFF president Noel Le Graet told French BFM TV channel in an interview.

Deschamps and Zidane were team mates when France last won the World Cup in 1998 as hosts of the tournament.

Le Graet said he had held no discussions with Zidane about a possible role with Les Bleus, who head to Russia in the coming days with the hope of repeating their success of 20 years ago.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2018