Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
55 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Zidane Makes Managerial Debut as France Play Turkey in Izmit

The match opens a four‑game Nations League block that will test Zidane’s shift to a 4-3-3, his player roles and his squad leadership.

Zinédine Zidane. [MUSTAFA YALCIN / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP]
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Zidane made his France debut on Friday in Izmit, starting a four‑match Nations League window that includes Belgium and Italy and runs through early October.
  • The coach signalled a tactical reset toward a 4-3-3 with Kylian Mbappé confirmed as captain and expected to operate more on the left than as a central striker.
  • Adrien Rabiot was named vice‑captain and spoke at the pre‑match press event as a senior representative of the squad.
  • The build-up has been dominated by intense media scrutiny and player storylines, including Ousmane Dembélé’s public endorsement of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the Ballon d’Or debate.
  • Zidane succeeds Didier Deschamps after a 14‑year spell, and this compact Nations League run is being treated as a laboratory to stamp a new style and set the hierarchy ahead of future cycles.