Zinedine Zidane makes big new rule that affects all France players in his first move as manager
Fans who love seeing France’s players arrive for international matches dressed in all sorts of fun and surprising outfits might be a bit disappointed this time around.
Zinedine Zidane has taken over as head coach of the France team, following in the footsteps of former teammate Didier Deschamps after a long and careful process between Zidane and the French Football Federation (FFF).
Deschamps led Les Bleus for 14 years, guiding them to back-to-back World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022. He won the 2018 title, adding to the World Cup victory he and Zidane both enjoyed as players in 1998.
In the later years of Deschamps’ time, it became a popular tradition for the players to arrive at the team’s headquarters in eye-catching outfits, giving photographers plenty to capture and share.
But Zidane has now banned cameras from filming players as they arrive at Clairefontaine, the team’s famous training center. This is just one of several new rules he’s introduced to mark his new leadership.
According to AS, the first big change is that the squad list will be announced at the FFF headquarters without cameras, with the press conference shared only through the FFF’s own channels.
Zidane has also cut back on the large media crowds outside Clairefontaine during player arrivals. That was usually an event, as players’ fashion often sparked plenty of media chat.
These new media rules are meant to protect players from too much attention, while the federation promises it will still provide video footage to the media.
On the bright side, AS says reporters may get more access to players in the mixed zones once training camp starts—giving them more chances to connect with the team than under Deschamps.
Zidane, a three-time World Player of the Year, has been waiting for five years to take this job. His coaching experience includes two periods as Real Madrid’s head coach and one managing their Castilla team. He enjoyed great success at Real Madrid, winning La Liga twice and three straight Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.
France’s first matches with Zidane in charge will be in the Nations League, starting with an away game against Turkey next Thursday. They will also travel to Belgium and host Italy and Belgium before players head back to their clubs in October.