French national team coach Zinedine Zidane expressed his satisfaction with the “content” and not the “result” after the 1-1 draw with Italy in the European Nations League, on Friday, at the Stade de France in Paris.
Zidane said in the press conference: “I am satisfied with the content, but I am not satisfied with the result. We deserved better, and we had a chance to score the second goal. I am proud of my players and what we have achieved. We created a fair number of chances, and (Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi) Donnarumma was excellent, making two or three exceptional saves. This is part of the game. “So we have to keep working, as this was only our third match.”
This was Zidane's first match on French soil since he was appointed coach of the national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps, after he achieved two wins away from home in the European Nations League: against Türkiye 1-0, and Belgium 1-0.
The coach added: “We had possession of the ball in the first half, but we lacked the attacking momentum from the midfielders in the last thirty metres. But we did it well in the second half. Our offensive performance was good in the first half and better in the second half. We wanted to win for the sake of our fans who supported us. “I was impressed and happy to return to the Stade de France.”
When asked about Ousmane Dembélé’s performance, which seemed somewhat disappointing, Zidane explained that he found it good.
He also said: “Othman remains Othman, and I am satisfied with him. It's all over the field. "I don't have much to blame him for, he created a fair number of opportunities for himself."
South Korean golfer Tom Kim won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday, securing a military service exemption, and also helped compatriots Moon Do-yeop and Kim Seung-hyun to a team silver medal behind China.
Kim scored 64 strokes in the final round, ending the tournament with a total of 262 strokes, or 18 strokes under par, three strokes ahead of local favorite Kazuki Higa, China's Ding Wen Yi, and Thailand's Sadom Kayukangana at Kasugai Country Club.
With no prize money, the continent's best players usually ignore the Asian Games, but there was a lot at stake for Kim.
South Korea grants exemptions from military service to athletes who win a gold medal in the Asian Games, or any medal in the Olympic Games.
Able-bodied South Korean men usually perform military service for at least 18 months, as part of efforts to maintain a deterrent force against North Korea.
Moon, who has already completed his military service, talked about helping Kim obtain an exemption by winning team gold.
“I want to play well so that our team gets the gold medal,” Moon said after the opening round. And to ensure that they do not have to join the army.”
In fact, Kim secured the exemption on his own, having overcome jet lag from a flight from the United States, following his impressive run at the Presidents Cup.
After he completed the final hole with a record number of strokes, his teammates and South Korean officials gathered around him to celebrate, pouring water on him in celebration.
The head of the Turkish Football Arbitration Board and four other people were placed in pre-trial detention, by a court decision, as part of a complex corruption case that is shaking the entire Turkish Federation, according to what the Anatolia News Agency announced on Saturday.
Ferhat Gundogdu, head of the Central Referees Authority of the Turkish Federation, and six other people appeared before a judge on Friday, against the backdrop of accusations of tampering with the mechanism for managing arbitration affairs.
The court ordered the imprisonment of five of them, while the other two were granted conditional release, according to Anadolu.
They face several charges, including: “forgery of official documents,” “breach of trust,” and “unlawful acquisition of personal data.”
The arrests came a year after the Turkish Federation suspended 149 referees in an illegal betting scandal.
Justice Minister Akin Gorlik said on Tuesday that prosecutors were examining allegations of “interference in the processes of classification, appointments, evaluations and promotions of referees, in addition to examinations of the laws.”
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that prosecutors believe the suspects illegally influenced referee rankings, promotion exams, and match appointments through falsifying documents and systematic intimidation.
