Zinedine Zidane is close to completing his France backroom team, with journalist Xavier Giraudon expected to become the national side’s new media officer.
The French Football Federation revealed most of the staff who will work alongside the new manager last week, but Zidane is continuing to finalise the remaining appointments before officially beginning his tenure with Les Bleus.
Giraudon is set to replace Raphael Raymond, who has managed relations between the France team and the media since 2018. Le Parisien reported the planned appointment, which was subsequently confirmed by RMC.
The journalist, who works for Canal+ and Infosport+, is expected to start his new role shortly as part of the changes Zidane is making to both the coaching and administrative structure around the national team.
He also has a longstanding connection with Zidane. Giraudon followed Bordeaux matches during the 1990s, when Zidane was playing for the club, and was among the journalists who tracked the midfielder during the early stages of his career.
Zidane went on to become one of the leading figures in world football with Juventus and Real Madrid before guiding France to victory at the 1998 World Cup.
That previous relationship is expected to help Giraudon settle into his new position, particularly as Zidane personally chose him to join the reorganised staff at the French national team’s training centre.
Zidane is still waiting to confirm the rest of his appointments and is expected to present his complete coaching and administrative team at a news conference next month.
The group is expected to contain about 25 people, including former France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who has been given responsibility for coaching the side’s goalkeepers.
However, Barthez may not be the only member of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning squad to join Zidane’s staff.
Bernard Diomede has been strongly linked with a place in the structure in recent weeks. Diomede is currently manager of France Under-20s and is believed to be among the options being considered for a role within Zidane’s coaching team.
His appointment would create the possibility of several members of France’s golden generation working together again around the senior national team.
Once the staff is complete, Zidane’s first competitive assignment as France manager will be an away match against Turkey on 25 September in the UEFA Nations League.
France will then travel to face Belgium three days later, before Zidane takes charge of his first match on home soil when Italy visit on 2 October. That game will be played at Stade de France.
The former France captain is now working to settle the final details of his team before the next phase begins. His arrival has generated considerable expectation among French supporters, who have waited several years to see one of the country’s greatest football figures return to lead the national side.
