Football

Manu Koné 'shocked' by Zidane's technique ahead of France-Italy

In a press conference, Manu Koné expressed his admiration for Zinédine Zidane's technique ahead of the France-Italy match.

2 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Manu Koné 'shocked' by Zidane's technique ahead of France-Italy — Photo: Bryan Berlin · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Manu Koné, midfielder for the French national team, expressed his admiration for the technical skills of his coach Zinédine Zidane during a press conference. On the eve of the Nations League match against Italy, scheduled for Friday at 8:45 PM, Koné stated that he is "shocked" by Zidane's technical abilities, adding that "in his time, it must have been incredible!"

Koné's enthusiasm for Zidane is also reflected in his comments about the coach's management. He emphasized that Zinédine Zidane is "very sincere" and "close to the players," qualities that seem to strengthen the team's cohesion.

Zidane's debut as head coach of the French national team has been marked by two victories, which appears to have contributed to a positive atmosphere surrounding the team. Players, including Koné, seem satisfied with his approach and training methods.

The match against Italy will be played in front of a sold-out crowd, as will the subsequent match against Belgium, which will take place three days later. This reflects the excitement for the French national team and for Zidane's debut as coach.

In preparation for the match, Zidane has not revealed any hints regarding the team lineup against Italy. This uncertainty seems to be part of his strategy as the match approaches, despite growing expectations around a strong starting eleven.

Meanwhile, Zidane addressed his famous headbutt on Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final, emphasizing that he has no regrets but is not proud of the incident, as he prepares for his first home match as coach.

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