Zinedine Zidane will lead the French national team for the first time as head coach in a UEFA Nations League match against Turkey on Friday. This marks a significant moment for Zidane, who has been waiting for the opportunity to manage Les Bleus following Didier Deschamps’ tenure. The match is a crucial step in Zidane’s new role as he aims to guide France in their international campaigns.
Deschamps was the captain of the first France team to win the World Cup, as hosts in 1998, and of the side that won Euro 2000. He bowed out of international football as a player 20 years ago with his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in extra time of the World Cup final in Berlin which France lost on penalties to Italy. He then enjoyed two separate spells coaching the Spanish giants, winning the Champions League three years running between 2016 and 2018.
But Zidane was the inspiration in those sides, a majestic playmaker with balletic ball control as well as a wicked side to his game.
Zidane never returned, spending five years in Italy before the finest days of his playing career came at Real Madrid.
France were the favourites only to end up losing to Spain in the semi-finals, but captain Mbappe was the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals while Michael Olise was outstanding.
There will always be a balance to the side, but I want to see us play and I think we have the team to do that,” he said. “You will get to see how I see football. Playing good football is what gets me going. That trio are all present in Zidane’s squad, with the new coach confirming Mbappe as captain. Injured Arsenal defender William Saliba and Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid are notable absentees, while there are several new faces.
Last year’s Ballon d’Or Ousmane Dembele shone intermittently. On Friday he announced his first squad, and there were several new faces amid expectations that his team will be more attack-minded than France were for the majority of the Deschamps era, at least up until the recent World Cup.
