Zidane arrived late to the bench on Friday in Izmit, missing the first bars of La Marseillaise as France opened the Nations League with a 0‑1 win. The incident set a quirky tone for his debut.
The much‑awaited debut stumbled when the coach and staff rushed onto the pitch seconds after the anthem began, scrambling to line up. Their hurried entrance became the talk of the stadium.
Later, Zidane smiled while chatting with former teammate Bixente Lizarazu on TF1, saying emotions ran high and he felt a special moment after years away from the squad. He added that the occasion was unforgettable.
The delayed kickoff
He admitted the protocol ran faster than expected, leaving him a bit behind the start.
Despite the mishap, Zidane steered a solid first outing, though Kylian Mbappé’s knee injury forced the star to leave the camp. His players had only four training days under the new boss, yet the team held on for a narrow victory. In my view, the debut was promising despite the setback, and the next match in Belgium will reveal more of his method.