Ready for a Belgium‑France showdown? On the eve of the Nations League tie in Brussels, Zidane fielded media questions with a grin, sprinkling jokes throughout his relaxed press briefing.
His buoyant mood was contagious. Arriving in Brussels with a broad smile, the French boss peppered the room with quips, hinting at inevitable changes – “How many? You’ll see tomorrow,” he teased, keeping fans intrigued. In my view, his light‑hearted tone masks serious tactical tweaks. The French boss peppered the room with quips, hinting at inevitable changes – “How many? You’ll see tomorrow,” he teased, keeping fans intrigued.
When asked about Rayan Cherki, the 54‑year‑old coach admitted he’d love to see the Manchester City winger start, recalling his impact in Izmir’s 0‑1 win in Turkey. “He’s a ball‑player,” the 1998 Ballon d’Or praised, noting Cherki’s knack for finding space and threading incredible passes. Zidane’s animated recount of the Turkish fixture drew laughs from the press corps.
I’m giving you a tip.
Discussing Ousmane Dembélé, newly named captain after Kylian Mbappé’s injury, Zidane claimed the winger could feature in all four matches, citing his relentless work rate and energy. “He might play the four games – we won’t necessarily do that, but he’s capable,” the former Real Madrid manager said with a smile.
Zidane recalled handing a teamwork‑focused book to each Castilla player in August 2014. When queried about repeating the gesture with Les Bleus, he replied, “Not yet, but I can certainly do it,” emphasizing that young talents need clear benchmarks.
On Belgium’s new boss Mark van Bommel, Zidane joked about the Dutchman’s rugged, aggressive profile from his Barça, Bayern and Milan days. “Our styles differ – he used to charge me and hand me little boxes,” he laughed, adding he respects van Bommel’s character‑rich approach.