Belgium: major revelation about Zinédine Zidane
Appointed France's new head coach a few weeks ago, Zinédine Zidane could have become Belgium's first French manager.
Days after Domenico Tedesco's departure in January 2025, Vincent Mannaert, then the Belgian federation's sporting director, had made Zinédine Zidane his priority to take charge of the Red Devils. Zizou quickly made it known that he was interested in only one job: that of France head coach, which he eventually secured a few months later.
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Rudi Garcia was subsequently chosen by Belgium for the 2026 World Cup. Mannaert's interest in Zidane, however, dated back 10 years earlier, when he had been able to observe him during a training camp at Club Brugge in February 2015. At the time, the Frenchman was coach of Real Madrid's reserve team and notably led Rik De Mil's Bruges U19 side, making a strong impression with his human approach, according to DH.