The first glow of Zinédine Zidane’s France reign has been hard to miss: four matches without defeat, a place in the Nations League quarter-finals within reach and a 4-1 comeback victory over Belgium at the Stade de France to close the latest camp. Behind the applause, however, the new regime has also encountered a handful of avoidable operational problems.
Key takeaways
- France remain unbeaten in Zidane’s first four games as national-team coach.
- The 4-1 win against Belgium completed the October gathering on a high note.
- Staff members discussed several logistical shortcomings during an internal review on Tuesday.
- Zidane arrived late for the opening of the French anthem before his debut against Turkey in Izmit.
- Equipment issues included loose screw-in studs, a missing pennant and a problem with players’ socks.
- France meet Italy and Turkey in November, giving the staff more than a month to make corrections.
A bright start with rough edges behind the scenes
Zidane has made an encouraging early impression since taking charge of Les Bleus. France are unbeaten across his opening four fixtures and are moving towards the Nations League last eight, while supporters have quickly embraced their former World Cup-winning midfielder and 1998 champion.
The comeback against Belgium on Monday, won 4-1 at the Stade de France, provided the ideal public ending to the camp. Yet the staff’s post-camp debrief on Tuesday also addressed a series of small but noticeable failures in organisation and matchday preparation.
The most visible incident came in Izmit, when Zidane oversaw France for the first time in a 1-0 victory against Turkey. He was not in position at the beginning of La Marseillaise, having not been fully briefed on the exact timing of the pre-match protocol by a staff still adjusting to its new responsibilities.
Zidane treated the moment lightly after the match, saying the ceremony had moved quicker than expected and that he had been slow to react. “I would have preferred to be there from the start,” he added.
Equipment delays to resolve before November
The anthem incident was not the only complication. Before one match, the France captain was left waiting for the customary pennant exchange because the team pennant had been forgotten in the dressing room and had to be retrieved urgently.
Some players were also frustrated that their screw-in studs had not been tightened properly. A further issue emerged around the Belgium fixture played in Brussels, which France won 1-0: kick-off was pushed back by several minutes after a problem involving the players’ socks was identified.
Zidane was present throughout the anthem on that occasion, but the sequence of minor mishaps underlined that his technical staff still have work to do away from the tactical board.
France now have a little over a month before their next Nations League meetings with Italy and Turkey. Zidane will use that period not only to refine his footballing plan, but also to ensure the practical side of international management is running more smoothly when the squad reconvenes in November.
