Zinedine Zidane will return to the Stade de France on Friday for his first home match as France coach, nearly three decades after helping Les Bleus win their first World Cup at the same venue.
France will face Italy in the Nations League, with Zidane entering the match after beginning his tenure with two 1-0 away wins over Turkiye and Belgium last month.
Speaking ahead of the game, Zidane said returning to the stadium where he lifted the 1998 World Cup remained a special moment in his career.
“I’m not going to be too original, I think it’s what we did with the guys in ’98. It was a dream to win the World Cup, especially against Brazil. We made it happen,” he told reporters.
The former Real Madrid manager said the prospect of leading France out at home had made the occasion even more emotional.
“It’s incredibly emotional, even more so tomorrow with the fans. We’re ready for this match. We’ve prepared well. We haven’t had any particular problems, it’s great,” he said.
Friday’s meeting with Italy also carries a personal connection for Zidane, who played his final professional match against the Italians in the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin.
That match ended in controversy when Zidane was sent off for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi.
Zidane acknowledged that the incident remains an unavoidable part of his career but said it did not define his football legacy.
“The images always remind me of it since they’re constantly replayed everywhere. Luckily, I haven’t only done that. There are other positive memories too,” he said.
“I have no regrets; it’s part of my career. I’m not proud of what happened, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You can’t only do good things, but there were good things as well.”
Italy are rebuilding under Roberto Mancini after missing the World Cup for a third consecutive time, but Zidane warned his players against taking their opponents lightly.
“My players are ready for a third match against a good team. Anything can happen in a single match. We’ll be playing against a tough side,” he said.
