Zidane celebrates the victory but remains absent in Metz

After three wins and a draw, Zinedine Zidane was able to smile as he said goodbye to his players on Monday evening, following the victory secured at the Stade de France against Belgium, even though the French manager chose to stay in Paris for the assessment.

Zidane's Absence in Metz

His players were able to return to their homes, but the French manager remained in Paris to conduct the assessment with his staff. Therefore, he could not be present in Metz that evening to take part in Robert Pirès's jubilee.

Philippe Diallo in Gironde

Philippe Diallo travelled to Gironde to discuss federal policy with elected officials and staff of the Leagues and Districts of Nouvelle‑Aquitaine and Occitanie, according to Sud Ouest. The visit aimed to strengthen the ties between the federation and the regional bodies.

The president of the French Football Federation expressed his satisfaction with this first gathering of Zidane's Bleus, recalling that the national team had not changed manager for fourteen years. He highlighted the very high‑level results achieved over the past ten years.

“The name of Zinédine Zidane has become established because he is an icon of French football and has proven himself as a coach at Real Madrid,” he said, adding that the team had taken ten points and was at the top of the group.

An emotional scene at the Stade de France between Zidane and Jacquet

Zinedine Zidane indicated that they should draw inspiration from Spain, even though everything was not perfect. He recalled the three major milestones: the Nations League 2027, Euro 2028 and the World Cup 2030.

To achieve these goals, they will probably need to beat Spain, the executioner of the Bleus in the semi‑final, in the final Nations League, at the Euro and at the next World Cup.

The president decided to set up a small task force with DTN Hubert Fournier, Marc Keller, president of RC Strasbourg, and Baptiste Malherbe, president of AJ Auxerre, to consider a reform of the technical direction.

Why David Trezeguet missed Robert Pirès's jubilee in Metz

“Spain is world champion, shines in many competitions. We can draw inspiration from its experience without copying it, for greater cohesion among the managers of the youth teams,” he explained, citing the Spanish model from the U15 up to the A team.