On Monday Zidane arrived at Clairefontaine, greeted his France squad and ran a light‑touch session while cameras captured every move.
The first to enter the historic doors was Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, dressed all in black, followed shortly by Guillaume Restes, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki.
Maghnes Akliouche and goalkeeper Jean Butez also showed up after last‑minute calls, highlighting a new policy: the staff now vets injuries remotely, sparing players a trip to the training centre.
Zidane presented his entire backroom staff to the players.
Players were expected around 15:30, but the usual car parade and stair‑case showcase was swapped for sponsor billboards at the federation’s request, while heightened security kept a close watch on six fresh faces and an entirely new backroom.
After retrieving their rooms – the same ones veterans know – several noticed the gym had been revamped. Zidane then gathered the group, smiling calmly, and at 17:30 projected slides that introduced each staff member, summarising their careers.
“Il a insisté sur le fait qu’on va passer deux semaines ensemble, qu’on va apprendre à se connaître, explique le défenseur Maxence Lacroix. Il y a un tout nouveau staff et ça va être important de pouvoir un peu se souder les liens. C’est une nouvelle ère!”
First observing from the sidelines, he soon immersed himself in the training. Will this deeper involvement translate into stronger performances on the field?
He quickly headed to the Michel Platini stadium on the grounds, a pitch rarely used by Deschamps. In my view, this hands‑on start hints at a more involved coaching style.
Unlike his predecessor, ‘ZZ’ personally set up cones and helped orchestrate drills alongside assistants David Bettoni, Hamidou Msaidie and Fabien Barthez, guiding twelve players who had seen little action over the weekend.
The rest of the squad stayed indoors while Bettoni, the chief assistant, spoke under Zidane’s watch, then strategic adviser Gregory Dupont jogged around the pitch. Meanwhile Barthez, grinning, oversaw the two new keepers, Restes and Butez.
Zidane initially kept his distance but gradually joined the drills, demonstrating exercises himself before acting as the pass‑back conduit, demanding quality on the final strikes.
Brief chats with Lepaul, Koné and Olise earned applause, and Zidane left the field to a swarm of media before retreating to the château for the first group dinner, where newcomers sang initiation songs. The team will return to the pitch on Tuesday at 17:30 for a public session.