A record for the team! Zidane's highest annual salary as France coach reaches €5.4 million, but fans say: "Not that high."

According to the latest report from French media RMC, Zinedine Zidane has officially been appointed as the head coach of the French national team, and his salary details have now come to light. Based on the contract terms, Zidane's basic monthly salary is €300,000, equivalent to a basic annual salary of €3.6 million. Including competition bonuses tied to results, his monthly salary could go up to €450,000, which equates to a maximum annual salary of €5.4 million. This figure not only surpasses the €3.8 million annual salary of his predecessor Didier Deschamps but also sets a new record for the highest-paid coach in the history of the French national team.

However, in the face of this record-breaking salary, fans' reactions have been surprisingly unanimous, with many taking to social media to comment, "Given Zizou's status, this salary isn't even that high!"

The fans' protective attitude is not without reason. To assess the true value of Zidane's salary, one must consider his personal career achievements and commercial appeal. As a "midfield maestro" during his playing days, a key figure in the 1998 World Cup-winning team, and a legendary coach who led Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles, Zidane has long been an iconic figure at the pinnacle of football. During his time coaching Real Madrid, his annual salary once approached €12 million. In the five years he was out of work, the Saudi league offered him a staggering annual salary of €100 million (approximately 800 million RMB), which he firmly declined. In comparison, the maximum €5.4 million annual salary for coaching France is not even a fraction of the Saudi offer and less than half of what he earned at Real Madrid. Therefore, in the eyes of fans, this is not the French Football Federation paying a premium, but rather Zidane making a significant "pay cut" for the honor of his country.

Behind this salary lies Zidane's pure and profound love for the French team. French Football Federation President Diallo candidly stated during the signing process, "To be honest, this was never about money. We didn't talk about money; we talked about desire." In order to wait for Deschamps to step down and take the reins of the national team, Zidane remained unemployed for five full years, turning down lucrative offers from European giants like Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain. As he himself said at the press conference, "Over the past four or five years, I rejected all club invitations just to wait for the French team. It's the only thing I wanted to do." When a legend places his dream above money, this record-breaking salary becomes the most fitting tribute and reward from French football to this national hero.

Of course, a high salary also comes with immense expectations and pressure. Zidane's return carries the responsibility of leading the French team through a tactical upgrade. He plans to assemble an unprecedented coaching staff of over 25 people, introducing more female data analysts and fitness experts, and inviting former World Cup-winning teammate Fabien Barthez to serve as the goalkeeping coach. Tactically, he is expected to instill the philosophy of possession football and high pressing from his Real Madrid days, moving away from the conservative counter-attacking style of the Deschamps era and fully unleashing the talents of stars like Kylian Mbappé.

From the Nations League debut against Turkey at the end of September to the future 2028 European Championship and 2030 World Cup, the Zidane era for the French team has set sail. The maximum annual salary of €5.4 million is both a team record and a heavy responsibility. But as fans say, for a legend of Zidane's caliber, the focus will never be on how much money he makes, but on whether he can once again lead Les Bleus to the pinnacle of the world, just like in 1998.

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