Zinedine Zidane reveals reason behind awkward Marseillaise incident during France managerial debut

Zidane enjoyed a successful start to his tenure as the manager of France. Les Bleus secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Turkey at the Izmit Stadium in his first match on the bench.

However, the iconic Frenchman experienced an unexpected moment before the opening whistle even blew. Zidane and his coaching staff arrived a few seconds late as La Marseillaise was already sounding across the stadium.

It was his very first national anthem as the head coach of the national team. Despite missing the start of the ceremony, his team quickly put the distraction behind them to focus on the task at hand.

Addressing journalists after the match, the 1998 World Cup winner made light of the situation. He explained that a minor protocol mix-up was behind his late appearance on the touchline alongside his coaching team.

"The protocol was faster than expected," Zidane explained with a smile during his post-match press conference, as quoted by MadeinFoot. "I had a slight delay in ignition. I would have preferred to arrive at the beginning."

The 1-0 victory in Turkey was far from straightforward for the visiting French side. Zidane's players had to contend with a playing surface that was in a rather poor state throughout the contest. The poor pitch made it complicated for Les Bleus to fluidly build their play. Despite the difficult circumstances, the team showed resilience to earn the narrow win on foreign soil.

The victory ensured that Zidane's first game in charge ended on a positive note. The outcome was the main priority, regardless of the tricky playing surface at the Izmit Stadium.

Zidane will not have to wait long for his second match as the manager of the French national team. Les Bleus travel to face Belgium on Monday. With a first win already under his belt, Zidane will aim to build momentum in his second fixture. Following a successful debut, the new boss will look for another positive result on foreign soil.