Robert Pirès praises Zinédine Zidane's aura as head of the French

Zinédine Zidane, the new manager of the France national team, strings together three wins and a draw in his first four matches in the Nations League, confirming a successful start at the helm of the Bleus. His former teammate, Robert Pirès, notes that the aura of the 1998 world champion remains intact.

“Zizou‑mania exists, it’s there,” observes Robert Pirès, former Arsenal player, in an interview on the sidelines of his jubilee on Tuesday evening in Metz. He describes the excitement as palpable around the new manager.

Pirès adds that people are talking about one of the greatest players football has ever produced. He reminds that Zidane has already proven himself as a coach, winning several trophies with Real Madrid, before becoming our new manager.

Zidane, for his part, describes the Bleus’ style of play as “quite pleasant football.” He pays tribute to Didier Deschamps, highlights the quality of the players and states that the crowd cheers the most “Zizou” as soon as the squad is announced at the Stade de France. It is a new start for French football.

Robert Pirès concludes by emphasizing the benefit for the players to learn and improve under Zidane’s guidance. He believes this momentum will strengthen the team.

The Bleus at the top of the group

The Tricolours sit in first place in their group with ten points on the board. This position puts them on a good path to the quarter‑finals of the competition.

They will face Italy on 12 November, then Turkey on 15 November, to secure their quarter‑final spot. These matches will be decisive to confirm Zidane’s strong start.