Officially appointed coach of Belgium this Friday, Rudi Garcia was not the first choice of the Belgian Federation. Sports director Vincent Mannaert surveyed other coaches, starting with Zinedine Zidane, which was insistently announced in the French team after the departure of Didier Deschamps in 2026.
Rudi Garcia will therefore be one of the competitors of the French team. This Friday, the Frenchman was appointed coach of Belgium after the dismissal of Domenico Tedesco. The coach notably passed by Lille, Marseille and Lyon was however not the first choice of the Belgian federation. In recent days, the names of Julen Lopetegui and Thierry Henry have fueled rumors when they were not the priority of Vincent Mannaert.
Indeed, the Belgian media Newspaper Affirms that Belgium wanted above all to appoint a certain Zinedine Zidane. The sports director of the Belgian body himself contacted the former Real Madrid coach. But the native of the Marseille city was not interested in the proposal. His negative response is not at all surprising when you know its news. Free since May 2021 and his departure from the White House, Zinedine Zidane has refused many offers in recent years, probably in order to jump on an opportunity to become the coach of the French team.
-Zidane wisely awaits the Blues
The 1998 Ballon d'Or had publicly confessed to its interest in the position. And his entourage recently confirmed his intention. “” If it is directly offered to him the selection, he will not refuse itconfided one of his relatives to the daily Le Parisien. The Blues, as for Deschamps, represent something apart. It is not a posture for him. After the announcement of the departure of Didier Deschamps in 2026, Zinedine Zidane surely awaited the call of the French Football Federation.
