Van Bommel looks forward to the duel with Zidane in the Nations League
In the Belgian training centre there is tense anticipation, as national coach Mark van Bommel prepares his team for the Nations League duel against France, where the coaching duel with Zinedine Zidane is at the centre. After the convincing 2:0 away win against Italy he wants to repeat the same performance.
Coaching duel in focus
The perfect start in his role was already shown with the 2:0 win against Italy, which Van Bommel describes as an ideal kickoff. He stresses that Belgium should continue to play boldly and offensively, with intensity, commitment and a clear game idea at the forefront. At the same time he warns to respect the quality of the opponent without deviating from his own style.
Zidane most recently celebrated his debut as France coach with a 1:0 win against Turkey and now faces his second match on the sidelines of the Équipe Tricolore. Van Bommel praises the former world and European champion and reminds that he himself once played for FC Barcelona against Zidane’s Real Madrid. For him, Zidane is an exceptional figure not only as a player but also as a coach.
A small disappointment is the absence of Kylian Mbappé, who injured his knee in the win against Turkey and has now been diagnosed at Real Madrid with a strain of the left knee. Van Bommel would have liked to see the star striker on the pitch, as he as a coach always wants to compete with the best players.
Lavia starts, Seys in defence, Mbappé absent for France
Personal highlights
Just one day before his first match as Belgium coach, his son Ruben van Bommel celebrated his debut for the Dutch national team. The young international set up the late equaliser in the spectacular match against Germany.
Van Bommel revealed that he followed the game together with large parts of his coaching staff on his mobile phone. For him the past few days have been extraordinary both sportingly and personally.
Mark van Bommel sees his son benefit from a last‑minute forfeit
The upcoming duel between Belgium and France therefore promises a lot of excitement not only because of its sporting significance but also because of the coaching duel between Van Bommel and Zidane. Even without Mbappé, the clash of two European heavyweights is set to be one of the highlights of this Nations League matchday.