Zidane Proud Despite France Draw With Italy in Home Debut
- Zinedine Zidane made his home coaching debut for France on Friday, securing a 1-1 draw against Italy at the Stade de France in a match where Michael Olise...
- The contest carried heavy historical significance for Zidane, who faced Italy for the first time since his infamous extra-time red card for a headbutt during the 2006 World...
- He scored the stadium's inaugural goal in January 1998 and later secured France's first World Cup title there later that year.
Zinedine Zidane made his home coaching debut for France on Friday, securing a 1-1 draw against Italy at the Stade de France in a match where Michael Olise opened the scoring with a 55th-minute strike before Alessandro Bastoni equalized for the visitors.
A Historic Return to Saint-Denis
The contest carried heavy historical significance for Zidane, who faced Italy for the first time since his infamous extra-time red card for a headbutt during the 2006 World Cup final. Fans greeted the 54-year-old coach with rousing chants of “Zizou, Zizou” and displays reading “Bienvenue Chez Toi” across the stadium.
The venue itself holds deep personal ties for Zidane. He scored the stadium’s inaugural goal in January 1998 and later secured France’s first World Cup title there later that year.
Olise and Bastoni Score in Draw
France controlled long stretches of the match and broke through when Olise fired an unstoppable shot from distance off the underside of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s crossbar in the 55th minute.
The advantage evaporated 13 minutes later following a defensive turnover from Lucas Da Cunha, allowing Italian central defender Alessandro Bastoni to race through and clip a low shot inside the right post. Both teams squandered opportunities as Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma delivered an impressive performance, making crucial stops against Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Adrien Rabiot.
Late Red Card and Stoppage Drama
France’s frustration deepened late in the match when defender Dayot Upamecano received a red card for collecting his second yellow card. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Donnarumma superbly denied Eduardo Camavinga in stoppage time to preserve the draw for returning Italy coach Roberto Mancini.
Zidane Weighs Up Missed Chances
Zidane expressed pride in his squad’s overall performance despite the missed opportunity to secure a victory in front of the home supporters.
“I’m disappointed for the players because we deserved better,” Zidane said. “We had chances to kill the game off, but we didn’t, and football’s like that sometimes. But it was encouraging. Honestly, I’m proud of how we played.”
Reflecting on the overwhelming reception he received from the public, Zidane noted that the pre-match ovation was deeply moving. “It was touching,” Zidane said. “We would have loved to give the stadium and the whole nation a victory, but it wasn’t to be.”
For Italy, the hard-fought point provides a valuable morale boost as Mancini works to rebuild the squad following their failure to qualify for the past three World Cups.
Nations League Group Standings
France enters the final stretch of the international window sitting atop their Nations League group, holding a one-point lead over Belgium. Italy trails a further two points back in the standings.
France will conclude this window by hosting Belgium on Monday, while Italy returns home to welcome Türkiye.