Zinedine Zidane, the France head coach, expressed great satisfaction with the level shown by his players during the hard-fought 1-0 win over Belgium, stressing that involving all members of the squad represents one of his most important objectives at this stage.
Those comments were not just words. Zidane backed them up in practice, making "9 changes" to the line-up that faced Turkey and handing several players their first start. The result pleased him no end.
Zidane spoke to "TF1" after the match, amid celebratory scenes following Michael Olise's late goal in the 88th minute. The French coach appeared deeply moved by what his side produced against Belgium.
Zidane said: "Yes, and not just with the ball. Tonight the situation was similar to the Turkey match, but the pitch was much better. We were excellent in everything, and in the press too, against a strong Belgium side."
He added: "We held firm, we were superb and brave, and we were not afraid to advance into the opponent's half, and that is what I liked, that is what we want. Perhaps we dropped off a little in the second half, but that is understandable, as we made 9 changes. The wonderful thing is that everyone got involved, and that is what we love."
Olise sparks Zidane's joy
The decisive moment arrived in the 88th minute. Michael Olise unleashed overwhelming French joy just minutes after coming off the bench, bursting through the Belgium defence, beating a defender and firing a powerful left-footed shot into the net. Zidane could not contain himself, setting off in a spontaneous celebration along the touchline as the players on the substitutes' bench erupted.
Recalling the details afterwards with a broad smile, the French coach admitted the Bayern Munich player's goal had moved him: "I don't know what I did. I saw Olise dribble past, so I said to myself: he is going to score. I was cheering him on with all my being!". The goal was Olise's first in the France shirt under Zidane's leadership, one of the standout moments of the evening.
There is no fixed starting line-up
Zidane praised the choices he made against Belgium after handing first starts to Da Cunha, Jacquet, Diouf and Lepaul, stressing that the competition for playing time is open to everyone.
He said: "That is exactly what it is about, we are all involved. What I love about this team is that everyone feels a sense of belonging, and that is what I wish for my team. Everyone has to be involved, and to think: I will contribute something."
He explained: "After that, it is down to me to make the decisions, but they have to be ready. They were all ready. We made 9 changes, and they were all exceptional."
Da Cunha, Doué and Jacquet also drew praise, with Zidane insisting it was difficult to single out any one player. "It is difficult to talk about just one player. It is a team," he added.
Zidane calls for rest
After an unconvincing start against Turkey, France looked more cohesive and in control against Belgium. Yet Zidane refused to look ahead to the upcoming match against Italy at the Stade de France, preferring to give his players a chance to catch their breath.
He said: "We need rest. We have travelled a lot, and we have not trained enough. I am eager for my players to recover and to take some rest. We are going back home, and that is a good thing."
The message was clear after the win over Belgium. Zidane does not want a national team built around a fixed group of players, but one in which everyone feels they have a role to play when the opportunity comes.