France’s new era under Zinédine Zidane comes with familiar base pay but a different financial framework. The former France and Juventus midfielder will receive a gross monthly salary of €300,000 as national-team coach, matching the fixed wage paid to Didier Deschamps.
The arrangement ends speculation that Zidane would demand an exceptional package on taking over Les Bleus. French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo was determined to keep the salary within established limits, with the belief that money would not be the decisive issue for a coach who earned extensively during his club career.
A different approach to commercial bonuses
The major change concerns image-rights payments attached to France matches. Under the previous system, players received roughly €22,000 each per fixture for commercial activity involving the federation’s sponsors, whether they started or came from the bench. The head coach was entitled to two shares of that amount.
Zidane will not receive those match-by-match commercial payments. The decision removes a potential source of income, but also releases him from sponsor commitments linked to the national side.
That distinction matters because Zidane has his own long-standing commercial partnerships, including associations that may not align with France’s sponsors. Adidas, for example, competes with Nike, the equipment supplier to the French team.
Tournament success to carry greater rewards
The federation and Zidane have instead agreed on a more performance-based structure for the biggest international events. His bonuses for World Cups and European Championships will be higher, allowing his overall earnings to rise significantly should France go deep in major tournaments over the coming years.
It is another deliberate point of difference from Deschamps, Zidane’s former teammate for both France and Juventus. The new coach inherits the same basic salary, but his contract places greater weight on results when the pressure and the prizes are at their highest.
