Zinédine Zidane management between international breaks, Digi Mart USA News: After the first training camp, Zinédine Zidane said he was “frustrated” to let his players leave after fifteen days of work. For the first time, he experienced the period between two international breaks, when a coach observes and works without having direct control over his group.
The day after the first international window, the France coach gathered his expanded staff to review the September-October camp. Initial conclusions were drawn, with decisions and areas for improvement, particularly in logistics and organization.
Zidane then returned to Madrid, where he lives, to spend time with his family while staying in contact with his technical staff. During the nearly five weeks, he closely observed the players he could call up, watching matches in the Champions League and domestic leagues and rewatching certain sequences to focus on details.
Assistant David Bettoni, observer Stéphane Plancque and video analyst Farid Tabet also took part in this remote work. The technical staff exchanged regularly, with weekly or more frequent check-ins, and goalkeeping coach Fabien Barthez was included in the supervision group.
Zidane also analyzed the team’s first sequence in depth using data. He was satisfied with the energy shown by his players but less pleased with the team’s efficiency.
“On the offensive side, we need to do better,” he said when announcing his squad. He noted 68% possession and 92% pass completion, but said he was not satisfied with the ratio of chances created, adding that the team could improve “much more” despite very good results.
Zidane also traveled to the Federation headquarters in Paris several times for working meetings to prepare for the matches against Italy and Turkey. In his free time, he played padel, sometimes with Bettoni, attended a charity match in Bayonne for the Pascal Olmeta association, and visited the Mondial de l’Auto as an ambassador for Alpine.
His focus remains on building a strong group for the final two Nations League matches, where France must secure qualification for the quarterfinals.
