An interview that proved costly
Marc Rétali will not be joining Les Bleus. The podiatrist had been set to join Zinedine Zidane’s backroom team with France. But at the last minute he was replaced by Serge Isidoro, L’Equipe reported on Wednesday.
The reason comes down to one interview. In mid-August, Rétali spoke to RMC Sport. He said he was stunned and delighted after being picked to join the new coach’s staff. The catch? The French Football Federation had not signed off on those comments beforehand.
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The duty of discretion comes into play
The media appearance went down badly with Herve Collado. France’s new doctor was due to work daily with the podiatrist as part of the staff. The duty of discretion, it seems, had not been respected. The decision was made before Zidane’s first camp even got under way.
Rétali had already been presented as one of the new staff members. He had publicly said how surprised he was by the appointment, admitting he had first taken it for a joke. That adventure is over before it ever really started.
Zidane tightens the message
The point goes far beyond Rétali. Zinedine Zidane has built a new staff around him as he takes charge of Les Bleus. The FFF clearly wants control over what every member says, including the ones who never go near a camera.
Serge Isidoro now takes the job. The tighter setup gets its first outing at Zidane’s opening camp.
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