Zidane sowed doubt before Belgium, opponents already irritated

In the press room at the Parc des Princes, the new coach of the French national team, Zinedine Zidane, wore a relaxed smile while carefully avoiding any indication of his tactical choices before the duel against Belgium.

A game of masks before the duel

Zidane, barely settled at the helm of France, made it clear that he likes to “blur the lines”. He refused to reveal his system, stating: “There will be changes, that’s for sure. How many, you’ll see tomorrow.”

When questioned again, he added: “I don’t want to say too much, there’s a coach opposite, I know you want it, but I don’t want to.” According to him, this discretion aims to prevent opponents from preparing a precise response.

Zinedine Zidane frees the Blues, win in Belgium validates his plan

But this attitude could quickly upset his counterparts, the French coach reminding himself. The Belgian coach, meanwhile, also seeks to anticipate the French intentions, thus creating a first psychological duel.

Several changes are expected: Désiré Doué was tested up front, Bradley Barcola on the left and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield. Zidane thus shuffled the squads without ever confirming any scenario.

How Zidane changes the Blues' midfield in two matches

By multiplying jokes in front of the media, the new coach is already playing a real game of poker, letting the Blues and their opponents get used to this new shadow game.