Zinedine Zidane acknowledged Italy’s superiority in terms of efficiency—though not necessarily in terms of overall performance—following France’s 3-1 loss at San Siro—a result that keeps France’s chances of advancing to the Nations League quarterfinals alive.
The French national team coach focused primarily on his team’s performance in the second half, noting that the “Tricolores” had significant defensive problems. “We started well and were effective in possession, but in the second half we faced difficulties, mainly on defense. We didn’t lack courage. We stayed in the game, but after the 2-1 score, we faltered. It’s part of the process,” he said.
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Zidane also defended his decisions, particularly his decision to play Malo Gusto, who gave away a penalty. “It was by no means a risk to play him. He committed a foul that led to a penalty, but these things happen. We’re not going to change players because of one game,” he emphasized, making it clear that the defensive problems were systemic and not the result of any one player’s performance.
He took a similar stance regarding Michael Olise, who didn’t perform as well after halftime. “You can’t always play at the highest level for 90 minutes. Olise has put in some very good performances. It wasn’t just him who struggled in the second half—it was the whole team,” he emphasized.
Of particular interest was the update on Kylian Mbappé, who did not play due to muscle discomfort. “I hope he’ll be available for the match against Turkey. That’s our plan. We decided not to take any risks tonight because he was dealing with a minor issue,” Zidane explained, with France now needing a win in their final match to secure qualification.
However, his most telling remark concerned Italy itself, as the French coach argued that his team faced an opponent that had performed even better in their previous matchup.
“Defensively, Italy played roughly the same way as in the first match, because they’re exceptionally good at that. With the ball at their feet, to be honest, I think they were better in the first match in France. But today they won, and there’s nothing more to say,” he said.
*photo source: AP
