Zinedine Zidane praises France’s collective response

Zinedine Zidane has reinforced his belief in a France squad where every player is expected to contribute. The coach was pleased that a heavily rotated side responded with intensity and confidence in Belgium, strengthening the idea that selection is open and responsibility is shared across the group.

France won 1-0 through Michael Olise after making nine changes to the team that started against Turkey. Da Cunha, Jacquet, Diouf and Lepaul made their first starts, while Zidane also highlighted Da Cunha, Désiré Doué and Jacquet. He judged the team effective in pressing, courageous when moving forward and capable of competing with a strong Belgian side. France lost some control after the interval, which Zidane linked to the scale of the changes, but he considered the overall performance highly satisfying.

The result marked a clear improvement from France’s uneven display in Turkey, where the quality of play had been less convincing. It also showed that the coach can alter his lineup without losing the team’s collective focus. Zidane said he does not want to establish a fixed starting eleven: his priority is for every player to remain prepared to add something when called upon.

France’s next fixture is against Italy at the Stade de France. Before then, Zidane wants his players to recover after extensive travel and limited training time.