France national team Zinédine Zidane staff tensions, Digi Mart USA News: The French national team is back together for a second gathering under coach Zinédine Zidane. Zidane began his tenure with a positive record of three wins and one draw, but the September international break also exposed organizational problems within the French delegation.
Zidane is bringing in new faces, including surprise call-ups Pablo Pagis and Saël Kumbedi. The players reported to Clairefontaine on Monday to prepare for a match against Italy on Thursday evening and a later match against Belgium before the November break ends.
According to the daily L’Équipe, the early months of the Zidane era have also been marked by several organizational mishaps and internal tensions. At the September gathering, the French Football Federation was fined 10,000 euros after a kickoff delay caused by straps of the wrong color, and several other incidents drew attention in front of the cameras.
L’Équipe reports that a kit manager who joined the senior team at the start of the season, Bastien Geray, has been on sick leave after clashes with a colleague, Kamel Lahlouh. Geray reportedly warned his superiors that his colleague was ready to come to blows with him, but no measures were taken, leaving him with the sense that management was reluctant to intervene.
Julien Memeteau, a former kit manager of the Espoirs, will replace him for the November gathering.
The federation has also reportedly circulated a job offer to recruit an assistant to team manager Laurent George, and the security officer position is being reorganized following the formal investigation of Mohamed Sanhadji. The report raises questions about the management of the delegation and working conditions for some staff members.
The publisher article has not been independently verified.
