A special guest at Bollaert
On Sunday night in Lens, there was one man nobody really expected in the stands. Zinedine Zidane was there for the Champions Trophy. Fifteen days after his formal appointment as France boss, the manager chose this match to kick off his reign.
Lens beat PSG 1-0. The result mattered less than the list of players on the pitch. Ousmane Dembele, Warren Zaire-Emery, Desire Doue, Lucas Digne, Robin Risser, Florian Thauvin. Six names who could all make his first squad. David Bettoni, his main assistant, was at his side.
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Clairefontaine before Bollaert
The previous weekend, Zidane had already been through Clairefontaine. According to L’Equipe, he was getting his bearings and speaking with the various departments of his future staff. The groundwork for the September camp was laid there.
Nothing flashy. No press conference, no thunderbolt announcement. Just a manager putting his methods in place before the noise starts.
September 21, it all begins
His first camp will open on September 21. Four Nations League matches are on the schedule, with trips to Turkey and Belgium, then home games at the Stade de France, including a heavyweight clash with Italy.
Close to three weeks with his group. That’s a long time for an international break, where managers usually get barely ten days. Zidane won’t often have a window like this to drill his ideas into the squad.
The comparisons with his predecessor will come quickly. They are inevitable. They can wait until September.
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