Zidane made his debut as France manager on Friday night, steering the Bleus against Italy at the Stade de France.
Emotion filled the stadium as Zizou returned. For the first time since his appointment, he guided the team before a home crowd. The match, part of the Nations League third round, saw the legend who scored the inaugural goal at the venue in winter 1998 and later lifted the World Cup after two decisive strikes against Brazil, welcomed with vintage shirts bearing his No 10 in the stands.
>>> Follow France‑Italy live
Lizarazu’s watery eyes
Zidane built suspense by skipping the warm‑up; when the announcer finally named him, the arena erupted. For my money, his dramatic entrance re‑energized the crowd.
At 20:41, the 1998 Ballon d’Or stepped onto the Saint‑Denis pitch in a black suit, flanked by the players. All 80,000 eyes fixed on him, while TF1’s Bixente Lizarazu watched with watery eyes.
A massive tifo read “Welcome home, Zizou” as the French fans unfurled it. The anthem rang out, and Zidane, visibly moved, sang the Marseillaise in a hushed tone. Every time his image flashed on the big screens, the stadium paused the game to roar his name.