Zidane's first victory in Nations League sparks fierce debate

France began its Nations League campaign with a 0-1 victory over Turkey in Izmir, with Kylian Mbappé scoring the only goal and Zinedine Zidane immediately delivering a win in his debut as head coach. The winning strike came in the second half, after which the French had to defend against Turkish attacks.

Historic start under Zidane

With that victory, Zidane set a start that no French head coach since Aimé Jacquet could match. It was the first match of the League campaign, played in Izmir, and Les Bleus could regularly rely on an excellent Mike Maignan between the posts.

Analysis and discussion after the win

The difficult passages of the match led to a heated discussion on After, the RMC programme. Regular analyst Maxime Chanot, known for his outspoken views, immediately voiced criticism of the play under Zidane.

‘Public opinion suggested that France under Zinedine Zidane would bring dominant football, with joga bonito and a team that would make us dream again. But that was not really the case’, said Chanot.

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‘Yes, there was that important win in Turkey. But after the match I was still left with mixed feelings about Zidane’s hand. You might have expected an immediate revolution, but it didn’t come’, he continued.

Chanot also argued that too little had changed compared to the era of Didier Deschamps. ‘Fourteen years of Deschamps you don’t just erase’, he noted, emphasizing the depth of the existing playing style.

He also referred to the Van Bommel versus Zidane confrontation, and praised the counter‑pressing as one of the team’s strongest elements.

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The criticisms have since encountered considerable headwind, and Zidane can already respond tonight by rotating the squad firmly against the Red Devils and implementing further changes.