Zinedine Zidane has confessed to feeling “immense emotion” as he prepares to lead the French national team for the first time as head coach in their UEFA Nations League opener against Turkey. The legendary former midfielder, who succeeded Didier Deschamps in July, will debut on the touchline in Friday’s Group A1 clash at Kocaelispor’s stadium in northern Turkey.
“I feel even more emotional than I did ahead of my first game as a player. Today I feel immense emotion at being able to be here in charge of France,” Zidane shared. The 54-year-old, a World Cup winner with Les Bleus in 1998 and a celebrated former Real Madrid coach, acknowledged the high expectations surrounding his appointment but emphasized that the spotlight should remain on his players: “The protagonists are the players. I will stick to my job and try to put something in place with the players to get them winning games. That’s what interests me.”
Zidane also confirmed that captain Kylian Mbappe had returned to full training after a recent illness. France’s packed schedule continues with a trip to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday, followed by home matches against Italy and Belgium at the Stade de France early next month.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot believes Zidane’s presence will benefit the squad: “His aura means he takes up a lot of space and people expect a lot from him. He is trying to stay out of the spotlight to allow the players to fully express themselves, and so that people talk as little as possible about him. That is obviously difficult but it’s maybe a good thing because talking more about the coach than about certain players could allow them to be left a bit more in peace.”
Zidane’s debut as France coach marks a new era for Les Bleus, with both fans and players eager to see what the iconic figure can bring to the national team.
