As expected for several months, Zinedine Zidane was honored during the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. It was he who collected the Olympic flame on the Trocadéro stage before passing it to Rafael Nadal, who was tasked with taking it by boat to Amélie Mauresmo and the gathering of French sporting glories, alongside Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci.
The French world champion did not stop there since he was seen several times in the stands, notably at table tennis, when he was not playing pétanque in Montmartre. Because this summer again, the former playmaker has free time. The French technician is in fact still without a club, three years after his sudden departure from Real Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane has not been short of suitors in recent months. Manchester United, Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea have all knocked on his door. In vain. Because according to many observers, the Marseille native has no other wish than to sit on the bench of the French team. He imagined himself taking over from Didier Deschamps after the World Cup in Qatar, but his former captain finally decided to continue the adventure at the head of the Blues until 2026 and despite a very sluggish Euro, which ended in the semi-final, the Bayonnais still seems untouchable in the eyes of Philippe Diallo.
Thierry Henry scored points
And when Didier Deschamps leaves, Zinedine Zidane may not be the only one on the track. Thierry Henry, who has already succeeded in his gamble at the head of the Espoirs, qualified for the final of the Olympic Games, is a very strong contender. The president of the French Football Federation also opened the door to him the day after the Bleuets qualified for the final.
“Thierry Henry, when I appointed him to this position, there were some who doubted given what he had done previously. I had confidence in him and he is proving it.”he said about him, adding: “We still have one more gold medal to go for. There is still this step to take and then next year, there will be the Euro Espoirs 2025. There will be this new challenge to take on, each of the steps must be taken before talking about anything else.”
