The French Football Federation signed a contract with legend Zinedine Zidane to coach the national team before the entry into force of the law on governance of professional sports.

This law, which transforms the French Football League (LFP) into a 'company of clubs', includes several provisions, among them setting limits on salaries of officials and employees in sports federations.

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On July 8, a joint committee of the Senate and National Assembly decided to set a salary cap of €450,000 gross annually, in line with the maximum applied to the 'chairman of the board of a public industrial and commercial establishment'.

The National Assembly and the Senate officially adopted the text on July 20 and 21.

Although the law allows the possibility to exceed this cap through an exception granted by the Ministry of Sports, the French Federation will not need to do so because Zinedine Zidane's contract was signed before the final approval of the law.

Thus, the federation will not have to request an exception from the ministry to exceed the allowed limit, even if Zidane's salary surpasses it by a wide margin. This will also allow keeping confidential the salary of the former Juventus and Real Madrid player.

French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said: 'The federation has significant private financial resources and does not depend on the Ministry of Sports.'

On this matter, the French Federation could have sought the opinion of the supervising ministry, but it preferred not to do so, especially since Marina Ferrari stated on several occasions that she does not wish to intervene in this issue.

The French Federation is scheduled to officially announce the appointment of Zinedine Zidane on Tuesday, July 28, during a press conference at the federation's headquarters, with the executive committee meeting on the morning of the same day to confirm the choice of President Philippe Diallo, according to French newspaper L'Équipe.