French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo addressed questions over compensation in an appearance on France Inter radio on July 29, 2026, the day after Zinedine Zidane’s official appointment as the new coach of Les Bleus. “Honestly, this is not about money,” Diallo said when asked about Zidane’s potential salary with the national team. The FFF leader added that the subject had never come up in talks because all involved shared the desire to see Zidane succeed Didier Deschamps after the latter’s lengthy tenure.
The comments came days after the French parliament approved reforms on July 21 that cap salaries for officials at sports federations at a maximum of €450,000 annually unless the government grants an exception, Le Figaro reported from the interview. Diallo stressed that financial details held little interest for supporters. “I don’t think this is what our fans are waiting for,” he said. “They want to see Zidane on the touchline, they want to see the French team win, and they want the national team’s identity — uniting the French people through victories — to be preserved.”
Diallo struck a note of caution over immediate expectations for the newly appointed coach. “When we enter a major tournament, the first step is to qualify,” he said. The FFF president pointed to Italy, which according to his assessment has missed three consecutive World Cups, to illustrate why no qualification can be taken for granted. He told France Inter that constant alertness remained essential to avoid similar setbacks.
Zidane, who captained France to the 1998 World Cup title as a player, returns to a high-profile role after guiding Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League triumphs as manager from 2016 to 2018. His appointment follows Deschamps’ leadership that delivered the 2018 World Cup and a runner-up finish in 2022, periods when the team maintained a strong international standing according to tournament records. The federation has framed the move as a continuation of its competitive ambitions ahead of upcoming qualifiers and tournaments.
The salary-cap reform forms part of broader changes to professional sport governance in France that seek to address financial practices across federations, as detailed in Le Figaro’s coverage of Diallo’s remarks. Diallo’s insistence that money played no role in the negotiations underscores the alignment between the former Real Madrid coach and the federation on priorities for the national side. France Inter broadcast the full interview in its morning programming, allowing the president to outline both the appointment process and the measured approach to future competitions.
