Aimé Jacquet returns to France match after long absence

Aimé Jacquet has returned to the stands for a France match after a long absence from the national team’s games. The former coach attended Friday’s Nations League fixture against Belgium at the Stade de France, marking a rare public appearance for the 84-year-old since he stepped away from the spotlight.

Jacquet watched from the presidential stand, seated behind French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo. He was also reunited with several players from the side he guided, including Laurent Blanc, Robert Pirès, Vincent Candela and Christian Karembeu. Jacquet coached France between 1993 and 1998, culminating in the country’s World Cup triumph on home soil in 1998.

His last known appearance at a France match had come at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he attended the team’s last-16 game against Poland. France won that match 3-1. His appearances around the national team have otherwise been occasional. In 2018, Jacquet took part in the pre-match ceremony for a friendly against the United States in Lyon, an event linked to the 20th anniversary of France’s 1998 World Cup victory. He was also present for France’s friendly against Scotland in Metz in 2016. His return to the Stade de France therefore placed one of the defining figures in French football history back among the national team’s supporters and former players.