Zidane drops Samba from France, Stade Rennais keeper wants to return

In the dressing room of Stade Rennais, Brice Samba watches his teammates' faces as manager Zinédine Zidane announces the France squad for the first Nations League gathering, excluding the 32‑year‑old goalkeeper from the matches against Turkey (1‑0), Belgium (1‑0), Italy (1‑1) and Belgium (4‑1).

Demotion under Zidane

For several years, Didier Deschamps had placed Brice Samba among the three best French goalkeepers. Zinédine Zidane's arrival at the helm of the national team overturned this hierarchy, relegating the Stade Rennais goalkeeper out of the squad.

The new ranking puts Robin Risser in first place, followed by Guillaume Restes. Even Jean Butez, the goalkeeper from Como, was called as a joker during the camp to replace the injured Risser, pushing Samba behind them.

According to L’Équipe, the former goalkeeper of Racing Club de Lens is determined to return quickly to the France squad, as soon as the next gathering if possible. He is counting on consistent performances to regain the manager's trust.

Samba believes the door is not closed. He reminds that he was still the backup to Mike Maignan at the last World Cup in the Americas.

At 32, his future in the French national team will largely depend on his performance at Stade Rennais, where he hopes to convince the manager. A solid season could put him back among the contenders for the starting spot.