Zidane's Wild Touchline Celebration Goes Viral After Late France Winner

New France manager Zinedine Zidane has embraced his new role with visible passion, as evidenced by his energetic touchline celebration during the team's recent 1-0 victory over Belgium. Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute, prompting Zidane to sprint down the sideline in jubilation.

Zidane, who took over from Didier Deschamps after the World Cup, has guided France to two wins in two matches since his appointment. This latest victory followed a 1-0 win against Turkey in the Nations League the previous Friday.

This marks Zidane's return to management for the first time since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. He previously stated that managing the French national team was his sole ambition, leading him to decline other managerial offers.

"The French team was the only thing I wanted to do," Zidane told reporters at his unveiling. "I've always looked at this team through the eyes of a future manager. I didn't take a club job for that reason. The only thing I wanted to do after Madrid was manage the French national team."

He signed a four-year contract with Les Bleus, succeeding Deschamps, who managed the team for 14 years. Deschamps' tenure included a World Cup title in 2018, a Nations League trophy in 2020-21, and appearances in the Euro 2016 and 2022 World Cup finals.

Deschamps' final tournament saw France reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Spain, before a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off.

Zidane and Deschamps share a significant history, having been teammates on France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad. Zidane, who retired as a player in 2006, was a pivotal figure in that victory and also won the Ballon d'Or in the same year. He amassed 108 caps for France, scoring 31 goals and providing 29 assists.

France is scheduled to play two more matches during the current international break: against Italy on Friday, followed by a return fixture against Belgium the following Monday.