Football: Zinédine Zidane, the new coach of the Blues, reveals his first squad including Mbappé.
Zinédine Zidane dove straight into the matter by revealing his first selection of players on Friday, September 18, at the headquarters of the French Football Federation.
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After officially announcing his coaching staff earlier in the week, things are getting serious for the former number 10 and captain of Les Bleus, whose choices were inevitably highly anticipated following the conclusion of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure.
Mbappé remains captain
Two months after the disappointing semi-final exit from the World Cup, which marked the end of his predecessor's long reign, Zinédine Zidane has the immediate task of preparing his players well for the Nations League, with no fewer than four matches scheduled: in Turkey and Belgium on September 25 and 28, against Italy and Belgium on October 2 and 5 at the Stade de France.
“We have four matches to play, we could have selected 22 or 23 outfield players, I chose to take 20 and I think that will be enough,” Zidane specified, announcing that he has chosen Kylian Mbappé as captain.
Zidane continues the legacy of his predecessor Didier Deschamps, who appointed Mbappé, the all-time top scorer for Les Bleus (66 goals in 106 appearances), as the captain.
15 days together
The coach did not include Aurélien Tchouaméni and Marcus Thuram. Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, defenders Andy Diouf and Jérémy Jacquet, as well as midfielder Lucas Da Cunha and forward Esteban Lepaul are called up for the first time in blue.
Second-choice goalkeeper Brice Samba is left out due to the promotion of young Restes (21 years old). The Hernandez brothers (Lucas and Théo), as well as PSG left-back Lucas Digne and right-back Malo Gusto are not included in the squad. William Saliba, who is injured, has also not been selected. In attack, the magic trio of Mbappé-Dembélé-Olise is retained.
“This gathering is beneficial with 15 days together,” Zidane asserts. “We will play every three days, so everyone will be involved. That’s the main thing. You will observe my vision of football. I am passionate about the game, we will always have team balance; this term is in vogue, but it is inevitable. However, I want to see this team evolve. We have the players for that.”
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Guillaume Restes (Toulouse), Robin Risser (Lens).
Defenders: Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), Jérémy Jacquet (Liverpool), Pierre Kalulu (Juventus), Ibrahima Konaté (Real Madrid), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea), Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Lucas Da Cunha (Como), Manu Koné (AS Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG).
Forwards: Bradley Barcola (Liverpool), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Désiré Doué (PSG), Estéban Lepaul (Rennes), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich).
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