Zinedine Zidane at centre of row as accusation fired at France boss Didier Deschamps

Didier Deschamps has been slammed for failing to recognise Zinedine Zidane's greatness as a player amid speculation that the former midfield maestro wants his job as France manager

A French World Cup winner has accused Didier Deschamps of not acknowledging Zinedine Zidane’s legendary career due to personal rivalries over the France national team job.

Deschamps, who has managed France for 12 years and led them to victory at the 2018 World Cup, played alongside Zidane as a player for Les Bleus. They formed part of an extraordinary midfield which won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship, with Zidane widely regarded as the most important French player during that time.

Zidane, like Deschamps, has tried his hand at management since hanging up his boots in 2006, enjoying an enormously successful time with Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League titles on the bounce. Zidane has been out of work since leaving Madrid in 2021 and is widely rumoured to have his eyes set on Deschamps’ job managing France.

That may have led to tensions between the French legends surfacing on Sunday when, in an interview with Téléfoot on TF1, Deschamps refused to name the best player he played with in his career. Zidane was the obvious candidate. And fellow ‘98 World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry believes it is impossible for Deschamps to speak positively about the Ballon d’Or winner as long as he sees him as competition.

“Of course, he will never put him (on his list)," said Dugarry this Monday on Rothen s'enflamme, on RMC. "He won't say 'Zizou' because he won't highlight him. Never.

"The best he has known is obviously Zidane. Who made him win the World Cup? It's Zidane! Who made him win many things? It's Zidane. But he will never say it! He will never say it!

"He's been there for twelve years and he will never make an assist. He has never made an assist in his life so even now he won't do it. He doesn't know how to do that. It's the truth; he will never speak well of a potential competitor."

Deschamps was handed a contract extension until June 2026 by the French Football Federation immediately after taking the nation to the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were beaten by Lionel Messi’s Argentina on penalties.

The 56-year-old was widely criticised for France’s poor performances at last summer’s Euros in Germany. Deschamps has now boldly left star player Kylian Mbappe out of the squad for their upcoming Nations League games, with the superstar considering quitting international football altogether in anger.

And he is not the only one frustrated with Deschamps’ leadership and methods, as reports in France state players in the national team are now pushing for Zidane to take over as his replacement.

Another 1998 World Cup winner, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, said two years ago: “I think he [Zidane] is waiting for one thing and one thing only and that's the national team. Why would you get into club football again when you've won three Champions Leagues with Real Madrid?”

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