Didier Deschamps does not believe he is one of Zinedine Zidane's "intimate friends", but insists "there will always be respect" between the former France team-mates.

The pair played starring roles in the French team that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

Fast-forward a quarter of a century and Deschamps announced in January he will step down as Les Bleus' head coach following the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The 56-year-old is his country's longest-serving coach having replaced Laurent Blanc - another member of that victorious side of 1998 and 2000 - in 2012.

Since then, he has guided France to World Cup glory in 2018, as well as the 2020-21 Nations League title, while they were beaten finalists at Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup.

Zidane - a winner of three successive Champions League titles during the first of his two spells in charge of Real Madrid - has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Deschamps.

It had been reported the pair do not see eye to eye, though Deschamps was quick to lay that speculation to rest.

"Another great preconceived idea!" he told Le Figaro. "We spent a lot of years together. There is still a lot of respect between us.

"By the way, the last time we saw each other, we exchanged and talked well. There is still, on both sides, a form of recognition of each other’s success.

"I am not one of his intimate friends. We both have our own lives, but whatever happens, there will always be respect between us."

France are back in action on Sunday for the return fixture of their Nations League quarter-final tie with Croatia, who they trail 2-0 following Thursday's first leg.