Zinedine Zidane was appointed France coach on Tuesday, as widely expected, following the departure of Didier Deschamps, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced.

Zidane, 54, had long been viewed as the leading candidate for the role and had been waiting for an opportunity to take charge of the national team for several years.

He will replace Deschamps, whose tenure began in 2012 and ended earlier this month after France finished fourth at the World Cup.

Deschamps guided France to 2018 World Cup glory and the final four years later.

The former Real Madrid star, Deschamps’ teammate in the 1998 World Cup triumph, has been readying himself for the role since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.