Zinédine Zidane France national team Kylian Mbappé criticism, Digi Mart USA News (France): After a fairly impressive first camp, the time has come to assess Zinédine Zidane. The new France head coach, who began his tenure with three wins and a draw, resumes the team’s Nations League campaign with two matches: against Italy on Thursday in Milan and against Turkey on Sunday in Bordeaux.
Kylian Mbappé is expected to be available for both fixtures. He was forced off with an injury in Izmit, where Zidane had deployed him on the left wing to leave the central role to Ousmane Dembélé.
The Real Madrid forward then missed the next three matches, and with Dembélé now injured himself, he is expected to return to his preferred position as a striker.
Whether this arrangement will last even when Dembélé is available is unclear, with the answer not expected until March 2027. However, some observers believe Zidane made a serious mistake by moving his captain to a flank against Turkey.
Sébastien Tarrago, speaking on RTL, said that many people had approved of the move, but questioned whether it was the right decision in the absence of Dembélé.
Tarrago argued that Zidane wanted to assert his authority, saying he “wanted to show his territory,” but added that it was “a huge mistake to act as he did with Kylian Mbappé.” He questioned how the situation had developed and said the coming months would reveal the consequences. Such a misunderstanding is expected to be addressed in discussions between Zidane and Mbappé.
