Zinedine Zidane has been appointed France coach, the French Football Federation announced on Tuesday, taking over from Didier Deschamps after a 14-year run that included a World Cup title and two major tournament final appearances.

Zidane, 54, had long been considered the leading candidate to replace Deschamps. He has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in May 2021, where he won three consecutive Champions League titles and two LaLiga trophies.

Deschamps, a former France teammate of Zidane, stepped down after this summer’s World Cup.

He took charge in 2012 and guided France to the 2018 World Cup title, while also leading the team to the 2022 World Cup final and the Euro 2016 final.

Zidane’s first matches as France coach will come in the UEFA Nations League this autumn. France are scheduled to face Türkiye, Belgium and Italy in the group stage, beginning with a match against Türkiye on Sept. 25.

One of France’s greatest players, Zidane was the key figure in the country’s first World Cup triumph in 1998, scoring twice in the final against Brazil in Paris.

He also helped France win Euro 2000 and was named the best player at the 2006 World Cup, where France lost the final to Italy.

After retiring from playing in 2006, Zidane moved into coaching and quickly established himself among the game’s most successful managers. His Real Madrid team won three straight Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018, a feat no other coach had achieved in the competition’s modern era.

France were among the favourites at this year’s World Cup but were eliminated by Spain in the semifinals before losing 6-4 to England in the third-place playoff.