France Info Sports1 hour agoSports1 min readFrance

Zinédine Zidane debuts as coach of the France team with a draw against Italy

Quick Look

For his first as coach of the French team at the Stade de France, Zinédine Zidane saw his team draw 1-1 against Italy on Friday October 2.
The Blues dominated but were held in check by an opportunistic Italy.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Zinédine Zidane returns to the Stade de France twenty years after his last match with the French jersey, during a France-Mexico match in May 2006. He scored on his first appearance at Saint-Denis in January 1998 against Spain.

Font size

Zinédine Zidane's debut as coach of the French team at the Stade de France did not end in an ideal manner. Dominant Blues were held by an opportunistic Italy (1-1), Friday October 2.

• Zinédine Zidane back in France... The coach of the Blues returns to the Stade de France, twenty years after his last match with the tricolor jersey in the Dyonisian enclosure and a France-Mexico in May 2006. "Zizou" did not miss the very first in Saint-Denis by scoring the only goal for the Blues against Spain in a friendly in January 1998. Will he have a similar debut on the bench ?

• …And against Italy. France-Italy was also Zinédine Zidane's last meeting with the French jersey, in the final of the 2006 World Cup. A match that has gone down in history for his bloodshed against the Transalpine Marco Materazzi, before the French defeat on penalties. Italy is also an entire part of the career of the former playmaker, former glory of Juventus Turin (1996-2001).

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

The France team will obtain its first victory under the leadership of Zinédine Zidane during the next official matches.
Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

Will Zinédine Zidane manage to obtain his first victory as coach in the next matches?
What will be the French team's playing strategy under his leadership?