On Friday at the FFF headquarters, there was barely room to move
Shouts. Phones held aloft. A crowd closing in on a 54-year-old who had turned up to sign a contract.
Zinedine Zidane probably did not need that crush of fans to remind him how popular he still is. Twenty-four years after his last game for Les Bleus, nothing has shifted. The federation, though, saw the scene very differently.
That is why, according to L’Equipe, the new head coach will have a much stronger security setup than Didier Deschamps ever did.
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A bodyguard, plus a security chief in the staff
In practical terms, the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner will have a personal bodyguard. On top of that, there will be a dedicated security officer, who is also listed in the staff structure released by the FFF.
This is not a complete first on rue de Londres. The federation had already put a similar system in place around Kylian Mbappe during the last World Cup. The difference this time is obvious: we are talking about a coach, not a player.
The France manager’s job brings more exposure than a pundit role or a club coaching gig. Press conferences, travel, camps at Clairefontaine, public appearances. Zidane is about to spend three years under a permanent spotlight.
The FFF is standing by it, without making a drama of it
Inside the federation, there is a clear push to play down any sense of alarm. Nobody wants to give in “to any kind of paranoia”, they say. The argument is simple: peace of mind.
Letting the coach walk through a hotel lobby without it turning into a scrum. Keeping his mind clear before a match. From the outside, it looks like another piece of routine organisation.
After what happened outside headquarters on Friday, it looks more like a response.
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