Zinedine Zidane, the new coach of the France national team, has explained the key calls behind his first squad as Les Bleus boss. The 23-man list features a clutch of new faces, among them Guillaume Restes, Jérémy Jacquet and Lucas Da Cunha.
Zidane also recalled players who had been out in the cold for years. Adrien Truffert, whose only senior cap dates back to September 2022, is back, as is Eduardo Camavinga, who missed the 2026 World Cup.
This first squad drew plenty of attention. Speaking to "Téléfoot", Zidane admitted he found it a tough job to pull together.
Foot Mercato published Zidane's comments, in which he said: "It is complicated. You know well that there will be those who are happy and those who will be disappointed."
"But I take responsibility for my decisions, that is part of my job," he stressed. "But it is not comfortable at all. That is why I do not put together a squad of 23 or 24 players, because I do not want there to be players in the stands. When I make my decisions, I choose players who must be ready."
One call in particular caught the eye. The former Real Madrid coach picked Andy Diouf and plans to use him out of his usual Inter Milan position. "It is a choice I take responsibility for, and a strong choice, because he does not play in this position with his club," Zidane said. "But we will work to put him in the best conditions."
He added: "Am I thinking about wing-backs? That is something I have always thought about, because we always face problems in this area, even though we have always had good players. But today, this problem has become smaller."
Beyond that tweak, the new Les Bleus boss wants to stamp a clear identity on how his team plays. "You will see. There will be changes," he stressed. "I want a team that plays football, and decides to impose its style and take control of the match. And when we do not have the ball, we must be balanced. But what will motivate me is to make this team produce good football."
Expectations will be high, and Zidane knows it. He has already nailed down his priority. "I know what the fans want to see: to keep watching the France national team winning matches," he said. "I am a competitive person, and I am here to win. That is what I want to convey to my players. That is my only goal. I have 4 years, and I will do everything in my power."
He concluded: "We will talk to you about the Euros and the World Cup. For me, it starts on Monday. From the beginning of the get-together, I will have only one goal: to win my first match in Turkey."
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