The dawn of a new, brilliant era has arrived for the French national football team under the leadership of the legendary Zinedine Zidane. The enormous weight and respect that his presence and authority bring is already clearly felt in the "Roosters" camp. Midfielder Manu Kone gave a curious and detailed insight into the atmosphere in the team, which is preparing for its first home match led by Zizou.
The match has a special, almost fateful context. France hosts Italy at the iconic stadium “Stade de France“ – the opponent against whom Zidane played his last professional match as a footballer in the unforgettable 2006 World Cup final.
Zizou's human approach and ageless class
The 23-year-old Koné, who is quickly establishing himself as a key figure in France's renewed midfield, speaks with admiration of the way of working and the unique aura surrounding the new coach. The young footballer emphasizes the direct, honest and emphatically human approach that Zidane applies in his daily communication.
„For any footballer, it would be a real pleasure to have Zidane as their coach. He approaches us in an extremely human way; he is completely sincere and he values a close, constant relationship with the players. He can talk to us both privately and in front of the whole team. He inspires us with immense confidence and encourages us to play as freely as possible. Each of us has the freedom to naturally express our qualities in our position and this makes the training process a real pleasure.
However, what impressed me the most was his technical range, which he demonstrates even now in training. Seeing that he still has such impeccable skills makes me think about how incredible he was in his time. He was a great midfielder himself, so I absorb absolutely everything from him and listen carefully to every word he says. He gives me extremely valuable advice on my positioning on the pitch and on maintaining the balance in the entire team“, shared Koné during his official press conference.
Differences with the „Deschamps“ era: New tactical profile
In addition to the psychological approach, Koné also made an in-depth comparison between the tactical concepts of Zinedine Zidane and his predecessor Didier Deschamps. The difference is most noticeable in the organization of the midfield.
„They rely on two fundamentally different playing schemes. Currently, under Zidane, we have one midfielder positioned in depth, while under Deschamps we operated with two supporting midfielders. A modern midfielder must be able to adapt quickly to different positions and roles, and I have this flexibility. Wherever the coach puts me, I will play with pleasure and enjoy myself. We didn't have too much time to work together, but we quickly managed to implement everything that Zidane asks of us. He is very proud of what he saw and told us that he considers us to be extremely high-quality players, capable of easily adapting to his vision“, added the French international.
The clash between France and Italy at the “Stade de France“ is expected with great interest by the entire football world, as the first home test for Zidane will show how ready the new tactical model is to return the “roosters“ to the highest world peak.