Under a sharp late-afternoon sun at Clairefontaine, Zinédine Zidane’s first training session as France head coach began at 17:46 on Monday. Around 100 journalists watched the start of the new era as a reduced group took to the Michel Platini pitch.
The move
Zidane selected 12 players for the opening on-field work, limiting the session to those who had either not featured or played only limited minutes during the weekend, particularly on Sunday.
Jean Butez and Guillaume Restes were involved alongside Andy Diouf, Eduardo Camavinga, Michael Olise, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Koné, Maghnes Akliouche, Dayot Upamecano, Estéban Lepaul and Lucas Da Cunha.
The group started with a ball-retention exercise, while France’s other 11 squad members followed recovery treatment or worked in the gym.
The French season around it
For his first session in charge of Les Bleus, Zidane chose the Michel Platini field at the national training centre. It is a pitch closely associated with France’s 1998 generation, adding a familiar piece of French football history to the beginning of his tenure.
Clairefontaine therefore opened Zidane’s international chapter with a light, carefully managed session rather than a full-squad workout, shaped by players’ club commitments from the previous weekend.
