Zidane relives the San Siro before the France‑Italy duel

Zinédine Zidane will relive the San Siro this Thursday at nine p.m., when France faces Italy in the Nations League, a stadium that marked his spell at Juventus between 1996 and 2001 and where he scored several memorable goals over his nine appearances.

Memories and future of the stadium

The manager of the Bleus recalled last Friday, during the presentation of the twenty‑three selected players, that “it is true that for a player, playing at San Siro is still something special”. He added that those memories remain precious despite the future partial demolition of the stadium, which will be replaced by the Generali Stadium by 2031.

Between 1996 and 2001, Zidane set foot on the grass of the San Siro, also known as Giuseppe‑Meazza, nine times, facing both AC Milan and Inter. The stadium, shared by the two Milan clubs, was the stage of his Italian debut.

During his second spell, in April 1997 against AC Milan, he contributed to Juventus’s crushing 6‑1 victory. That season, the title holder of Serie A, AC Milan, finished eleventh, while Lippi’s Juventus won the Scudetto, Zidane’s first Italian title.

Zidane backs young Senny Mayulu for the Nations League

Correspondent Daniele Manusia described 1997 as one of Zidane’s best years, highlighting his role as the number ten under Lippi. He recalled that the midfielder started on the left before establishing himself in the centre.

Zidane scored the winning goal, which remains the worst home defeat of AC Milan in the league. The match is still etched in the memory of Milan supporters.

The Juventus‑Inter clashes at the San Siro, described as the Italy derby, also saw Zidane face feverish crowds. Former Inter goalkeeper Sébastien Frey described the stadium as the “temple of football”. Former midfielder Benoît Cauet added that the supporters applied intense psychological pressure, but that Zidane was never unsettled.