Jules Kounde has broken his silence regarding his recent lack of playing time at Barcelona, admitting that his current benching is a fair reflection of his recent performances. The French defender has found himself behind Eric Garcia in the pecking order at the Camp Nou this season.
France manager Zinedine Zidane has vehemently defended former talisman Cristiano Ronaldo following intense media scrutiny over the forward's abrupt walkout from Portugal duty. Recalling their shared historic triumphs at the Santiago Bernabeu, the tactician dismissed suggestions of a tarnished career while detailing his own shift to international management.
Zinedine Zidane has expressed his absolute astonishment at the rapid rise of Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet following the youngster's sensational start to life with the French national team. The legendary former Real Madrid boss was left waxing lyrical about the 21-year-old’s maturity and tactical discipline on the international stage.
Dayot Upamecano has officially departed the France national camp to link back up with Bayern following his late dismissal against Italy. The central defender picked up a second yellow card in Friday's 1-1 draw in Paris, triggering an automatic one-match ban that rules him out of Monday's UEFA Nations League encounter against Belgium.
Italy head coach Roberto Mancini declared that his team passed a crucial test of maturity after holding France to a 1-1 Nations League draw. Mancini praised the Azzurri's tactical aggression and defensive cohesion following Alessandro Bastoni's second-half equaliser at the Stade de France.
Valentine Phoenix
