Zidane's Coaching Debut
Zinedine Zidane makes his debut as France coach against Türkiye in Nations League opener.
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Zinedine Zidane is set to make his debut as France’s head coach against Türkiye in the 2026/27 Nations League opener, beginning a new era after Didier Deschamps’ departure. Zidane, who described taking the job as deeply emotional, has had little time to work with the squad and cautioned that it is too early to expect a distinct coaching imprint. France’s lineup blends established leaders such as captain Kylian Mbappé with five first-time call-ups, as Zidane begins reshaping the team. The match also revives memories of France’s 2-0 loss in Türkiye in 2019, when they failed to record a shot on target; Zidane’s side will be eager to avoid a repeat.
Key Points
1
France have opened the scoring in eight of their last 10 matches, while Türkiye conceded first in four of their last five, including all three of their 2026 World Cup group games—trends France could look to exploit.
2
Zidane is the third member of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning team to coach Les Bleus, following Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps. He had also been away from the touchline for five years before taking the job.
3
France’s 2019 defeat in Türkiye came despite having 63% possession. Kaan Ayhan and Cengiz Ünder scored in the first half, while the home crowd of 42,160 whistled French touches throughout the match.
4
Zidane’s previous trip to Istanbul with France was in November 2001, when Johan Micoud started alongside him and scored his only goal for the national team in a 4-0 friendly win. Micoud later said the two linked well, though it was their only joint start.
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