Karim Benzema has urged Zinedine Zidane to take over as France coach in a thinly-veiled tweet paying tribute to the outgoing Real Madrid boss.
Benzema won three Champions League titles under his countryman at the Bernabeu, an immensely successful haul for a player who was going through difficult times. The Madrid striker won't be going to the World Cup this summer as his international exodus continues, with France coach Didier Deschamps having made him ineligible for selection over a blackmail case involving former teammate Mathieu Valbuena and a sex tape.
Deschamps "bowed to racist pressure" in barring him from selection, Benzema has said since.
And with that wound still to fully heal, Benzema hinted that Zidane and he could resume their player-coach relationship in not too long - say, after the World Cup?
"I did not have the pleasure of playing with you brother but I had the immense honour to have you as a coach so I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have given me and brought me," said Benzema on Twitter.
"Good luck with whatever comes next for you and yours, and maybe I'll see you soon, God-willing."
A winking emoji suffixed Benzema's tweet.
Zidane's figure will now cast a long shadow over his former teammate during the World Cup this summer despite Deschamps signing a new contract until 2020 last year.
Any underachievement will see fans calling for the three-time Champions League-winning coach to take the reins, with Deschamps yet to make the most of one of France's most talented generations of players yet.
