Zinédine Zidane praised for performance, criticised for tardiness to La Marseillaise

In Istanbul’s stadium, the French national team led by Zinedine Zidane won its Friday night match, giving its new manager a successful sporting start. As the players celebrated the victory, the national‑anthem moment revealed a slight delay on the part of the coach.

A small hiccup during the anthem

La Marseillaise was launched very quickly, according to protocol, but Zidane did not sing the opening notes, merely moving his lips. Turkish supporters whistled the melody, highlighting the oddity.

« La Marseillaise was launched very quickly, that was the protocol,” he reacted after his team’s victory. “Yes, they warned me, but there was still that slight delay. It was always the same emotion, I have no words. Twenty years later… It had been a very long time since I had returned for the French national team, so coming back as manager is something special. I seized the moment.”

Turkish supporters whistled La Marseillaise profusely, while most French players eventually sang it. However, several viewers noticed that the new manager only made a slight lip movement.

Fabien Barthez, goalkeeping coach in “Zizou”’s staff, remained silent, not singing at all, in contrast to Didier Deschamps and his assistant Guy Stéphan who sang it at the top of their lungs.

During his international career, the native of Marseille never truly resumed the patriotic chant. He often placed his hand over his heart, remaining silent or murmuring the words quietly.