In Istanbul, where France begin a new Nations League campaign on Friday, Zinedine Zidane will take charge of Les Bleus for the first time with an emotion he says exceeds even his own arrival as an international player.
The former France midfielder succeeds Didier Deschamps after 14 years at the helm and starts in Turkey in the opening round of League A, Group 1. Zidane’s own first appearance for France came under Aimé Jacquet on 17 August 1994, but the weight of standing on the touchline as national coach feels greater.
“It is even more than my first match as a player,” Zidane said. “Today I feel immense emotion at being able to coach the French national team.”
His appointment has naturally brought a wave of expectation around the squad after the long Deschamps era, yet Zidane was keen to place the emphasis on the players rather than on any personal reinvention of the side.
“That is completely normal. People talk about it and it is perfectly logical,” he said of the anticipation surrounding his arrival. “But the players are the main figures. I will stay in my role. I will try to do my work with my players, set the rules and win matches. That is what interests me most.”
Zidane also dismissed the notion that France should expect an immediately identifiable “Zidane touch” from his first fixture in charge.
There was reassuring news, meanwhile, concerning captain Kylian Mbappé. The forward was rested on Tuesday after flu-like symptoms but returned to normal training on Wednesday, leaving him available for the trip to Turkey.
“He is fine,” Zidane said. “He had a small setback, but nothing serious. He will be ready to play tomorrow.”
