Football
Zinédine Zidane unveils his first squad as coach of the French national team
Expectations are high for Zinédine Zidane, who has presented his first player list for France while leaving out some former players.
As he prepared to reveal his first squad, anticipation grew among France supporters, who hold high hopes for Zinédine Zidane as the new head coach.
Zinédine Zidane stated that he is committed to coaching the Blues in line with his philosophy, promising a dynamic approach to the game. After presenting his squad, he confirmed his preference for younger players, excluding Karim Benzema while expressing admiration for his career.
In this initial list, Zidane also discussed Kylian Mbappé's positioning, indicating his preference for him to play on the left in a 4-3-3 formation, with Ousmane Dembélé as the center forward. Zidane's comments sparked reactions from various football experts, including Dugarry, who expressed agreement with this approach.
Matthieu Udol, who is not among the 23 players selected, expressed disappointment, indicating that he had hoped to be called up by the coach. This absence marks a break from the previous era, where players like N'Golo Kanté and Marcus Thuram were also left out.
During a press conference, Zidane addressed the topic of political statements, emphasizing that he will focus on his role as coach while respecting everyone's freedom of expression. Player Maxime Chanot criticized this press conference, calling it uninteresting.
Finally, Zidane's list has been presented as a turning point, featuring several new faces who have entered the national team, despite the absence of emblematic figures from Didier Deschamps' era. This choice has already started discussions about the future of the absent players.