Zinedine Zidane banks on an expanded staff for France
Zinédine Zidane and his team will be in charge this Friday to lead the Bleus in their first Nations League match against Turkey at 8:45 p.m., marking the official launch of an expanded staff.
The coach has chosen to rely on a larger group, ranging from his assistant David Bettoni to goalkeeping coach Fabien Barthez, to bring diversified expertise to the staff.
David Bettoni holds the position of assistant coach. He was already Zidane’s assistant at Real Madrid and the two men met at AS Cannes in 1988, forging a long‑standing rapport.
Fabien Barthez, supported by goalkeeper Mike Maignan, oversees goalkeeper training. World champion in 1998, he also advised the Bleus’ goalkeepers under Raymond Domenech (2004‑2010) and Laurent Blanc (2010‑2012).
Hamidou Msaidie is the second assistant. A former colleague of Zidane at Real Madrid, he works as a physiotherapist and fascial therapist, providing essential physical support.
Zidane at the helm of France, Mbappé captain against Turkey
The expanded technical staff
Grégory Dupont, strategic and performance adviser, led France’s athletic preparation during the 2018 World Cup title before joining Zidane at Real Madrid in the summer of 2019. He is also football director at Red Star.
Stéphane Plancque acts as an observer. The two met in Bordeaux, where they played (1992‑1994), and Plancque followed Zidane to Real Madrid, responsible for opponent scouting reports.
Arthur Hochedé, fitness coach, holds a doctorate in STAPS. He held the same position at Red Star last season, where he worked with Dupont, and he worked alongside Bettoni at Club Africain.
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Links with the past and the future
Hervé Collado, doctor, is a former player who crossed paths with Zidane in Marseille. Xavier Giraudon, press chief of the Bleus, was a journalist at Canal+ and Infosport+ and met Zidane in the early 1990s when he commentated on the Girondins for France Bleu Gironde.
Farid Tabet, assistant coach and video data analyst, is close to Bettoni, the two having met at Club Africain. Raphaël Varane said: “Zidane does not expect everyone to do somersaults.” The full staff will therefore be operational from the kick‑off of the match against Turkey.