The president of the French Football Federation, Noel le Graet, said that he would not have answered the phone if Zinedine Zidane had called him.
Le Graet said this a day after the contract with former France coach Didier Deschamps was extended until 2026.
“I wouldn’t answer his phone if he called me. What should I tell him? Good day sir, don’t worry, look for another club. I just agreed with Didier,” Le Graet said for RMC Sport.
Zidane was one of the main candidates to succeed Deschamps in case the cooperation with him did not continue.
He added that he would be surprised if Zidane, who as a player with France won the World Cup in 1998, went to the Brazil bench.
“He does what he wants and it doesn’t concern me. I never met him and I never planned to separate from Deschamps. I didn’t shake anything or anyone. He can go wherever he wants, to some club, some big club. There are so many of them in Europe. I don’t really believe in a selection, if you ask me,” said the 81-year-old president of the French Football Association.
His statement caused great condemnation from the French football public, and among others, the French national team member Kylian Mbappe also spoke out.
Mbappe wrote “Zidane is France, we will not disrespect legends like him”.
At the end of last year, France was defeated by Argentina in the final of the World Cup in Qatar, after a penalty shootout.
Deschamps won the world championship title in Russia in 2018 as a coach with France.
