Zinedine Zidane is finally set to return to the dugout.According to French publication Le Parisien, Zidane will step back into the managerial limelight with the French national team.The 53-year-old appears destined to take the plunge into international managementGettyThe report adds Zidane has already struck a verbal agreement with the French Football Federation (FFF) to succeed incumbent boss Didier Deschamps after this year’s World Cup.News of Zidane’s reported agreement comes hot on the heels of FFF president Philippe Diallo confirming he has settled on Deschamps’ replacement.“Yes, I know who will be France’s next manager,” Diallo told French outlet Le Figaro.New eraDeschamps had already signalled his intention to step down from the role after the 2026 World Cup in January last year and was looking forward to post-managerial life.“I’ve been here since 2012, I’m scheduled until 2026, the next World Cup,” Deschamps said.“It will stop there because it has to stop there at some point. In my head, it’s very clear.“I did my time with the same desire, the same passion to keep the French team at the highest level.“We never want it to end when it’s a beautiful thing. Afterwards we have to know how to say stop.“There is life after. I don’t know what it will be, but it will be very good too. It’s going to be 14 years, that’s a long time too.“I’m not here for the records, especially the demands. The most important thing is that the French team remains at the top where it has been for many years.”Deschamps’ departure will mean France is set for a new manager for the first time since 2012AFPHard act to followDeschamps has enjoyed a highly successful reign as France’s manager having led the nation to World Cup glory in 2018.Les Bleus came agonisingly close to becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to defend their World Cup crown in 2022, only to fall short in a penalty shootout to Argentina.As France manager, Deschamps boasts an incredible record of 113 wins, 32 draws and 30 defeats from 175 matches.Deschamps’ remarkable success at the helm of France means Zidane, should he be appointed, has incredibly large shoes to fill.Zidane will also have to dust off his coaching clipboards having not managed since June 2021, which marked the end of his second stint in charge of Real Madrid.That means Zidane has been out of managerial work for a staggering 1,727 days.The wait for Zidane’s return to management appears to be overGettyWhich trophies has Zinedine Zidane won as a manager?Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18LaLiga: 2016/17, 2019/20UEFA Super Cup: 2016/17, 2017/18FIFA Club World Cup: 2016/17, 2017/18Spanish Super Cup: 2017/18, 2019/20As Los Blancos boss, Zidane led the club to a remarkable 11 trophies, three of which were Champions League crowns.Zidane’s impressive work in the Spanish capital saw him named the world’s best club coach by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) on two occasions, cementing his status as one of football’s shrewdest minds.In total, Zidane managed Madrid on 263 occasions and boasts a record of 174 wins, 53 draws and 36 defeats.