Zinedine Zidane wasted little time stamping his authority on the French national team. Two away wins in his first two matches got the new era rolling before a draw against Italy brought the first blemish. The end of his opening international window carried a special feeling, he admitted, after more than two weeks alongside his players.
Taking charge after the World Cup, Zidane launched a new era that quickly won over players and fans alike. The early results looked promising, even if the attacking performances fell short of what was expected.
Two hard-fought 1-0 wins over Turkey and Belgium set the tone before a 1-1 draw with Italy on Friday evening at the Stade de France handed the new coach his first setback.
Speaking during the press conference before the Belgium match, Zidane said: "The demands are the same, but the difference is that working with the national team is different from a club. I used to enjoy the daily work, and now I am taking on a different role, but my desire to work in harmony with my team has not changed."
His new project needs time, he stressed, even as the urge to win burns away. "We always want to win, we are competitors. The most important thing is to prepare well for matches and to feel comfortable on the pitch. I am very satisfied with the mentality I have seen so far."
"I have clear convictions, I love the French national team, and I have top-class players, but I know it will take time," the French manager continued. "I am very happy with what I have seen."
Regret crept in as the international break drew to a close. "It was wonderful to spend 15 days with the players, and I feel a little frustrated that this period is ending," Zidane said. "We still have one final effort left so that we can leave the camp happy."
Pressed on his tactical vision and the working method he wants to build, Zidane revealed that Paris Saint-Germain's current project is one of his sources of inspiration, drawn to the attacking style and high press that define the Parisian side.
"Definitely, a lot," Zidane said. "They are an attacking team, they press hard in advanced areas of the pitch to try to win the ball back from the opponent. They want to keep possession of the ball, not chase after it."
He added: "I was a playmaker, and I loved keeping possession of the ball. We do not want mere sterile possession, we want to be able to break quickly into the final third of the pitch. And that will inevitably come."
Several changes to the line-up against Belgium look to be on the way, with Zidane keen to hand chances to as many of his players as possible across the four scheduled matches.
Asked about the possibility of making wholesale changes, Zidane replied: "Yes, there will be changes, as we have done before. We have four matches, so we will make adjustments during these matches, and perhaps some additional changes."
"We played on Friday, and we are now on the eve of the match, so we should not do anything just to win," he explained. "We will do our utmost, but with all 23 of our players. There will be some additional changes, yes."
Belgium stand in his way, hungry to avenge their 1-0 defeat in the previous meeting and buoyed by a big win over Turkey heading into the last match.
Zidane wants to sign off his first international window with another victory, which would be his first at the Stade de France since taking charge, and keep building his new project with steadiness and confidence.