France Sports Minister: Zidane's national team coach salary exempt from €450,000 cap

Hupu, July 22 — Contrary to earlier media reports, Zinedine Zidane will not be prevented from becoming head coach of the French national team by a newly introduced salary cap of €450,000 per year, according to French outlet RMC.

On Tuesday, during RMC's After Foot program, Senators Laurent Lafon and Michel Savin discussed a key amendment to the French professional sports reform bill, which was recently passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate.

Following the standard back-and-forth between the two parliamentary chambers and a joint committee review, the bill was overwhelmingly approved on Monday and Tuesday. The new law introduces salary caps across major sports leagues and federations, alongside changes to football governance structures.

Will the Salary Cap Block Zidane? No.

Zidane, widely expected to succeed Didier Deschamps as France manager after the 2026 World Cup, will benefit from a special exemption granted by the French Sports Minister. This provision was added during the joint committee stage.

Senator Savin explained:

"What the joint committee did was amend certain provisions on salary caps voted by the National Assembly. An amendment passed by the National Assembly set the salary cap at three times the social security ceiling, about €12,000 per month. We immediately realized we needed to be careful not to impoverish French professional sports as a result."

Why Certain Key Positions "Must Keep Up with Salaries"

Savin, a member of the parliamentary committee overseeing French football and sports reform, stressed the need for organizations to retain qualified personnel despite the cap:

"It's not just about the national team coach; there are also key management positions. If we want federations and professional leagues—whether in football or other sports—to have talent with the right skills and resumes matching their responsibilities in key roles, salaries must keep up."

He added:

"That's why Laurent Lafon and I renegotiated with representatives from the National Assembly, telling them the originally set cap needed to be raised. So we increased it to €450,000 annually."

"The Minister Does Not Choose the National Team Coach"

Exceeding the €450,000 annual threshold—already reached by employees of some large French federations or leagues—requires government approval. This applies to the position of France national team coach, meaning it applies to Zidane or any future coach.

Savin clarified:

"Each federation president can apply to the Sports Minister for approval for certain positions. This is not about a specific person. We're not talking about who Mr. So-and-So is... We're talking about certain positions that, given their responsibilities and tasks within the league, genuinely require salaries exceeding €450,000."

He emphasized:

"The Minister does not have the authority to choose the national team coach. It's not the Minister who selects the coach! Again, it's the president of the French Football Federation who submits a request to the Minister, based on economic and professional criteria, to exempt certain positions from the €450,000 cap. The general director of a professional league could very well earn more than €450,000 annually—and this doesn't just happen in football."

Salary Exemptions Based on "Market Price"

Senator Laurent Lafon, also a guest on After Foot, explained that while Sports Minister Marina Ferrari will not oppose making an exception for Zidane—as previously reported by RMC Sport—this does not mean all future France coaches will receive the same treatment.

According to earlier RMC reports, the National Assembly originally intended to set the cap at €140,000 per year, but it was amended to €450,000 after first-reading discussions. This figure matches the salary standard for the "Chairman of the Board of Directors of a National Industrial and Commercial Public Institution." Any payment above this amount requires an exemption approved by the French Sports Minister.

Zidane is expected to officially sign with the French Football Federation. According to earlier estimates by Le Parisien, the total value of lucrative contracts Zidane has turned down over the past five years may exceed €200 million.

Source: RMC Sport