Zinedine Zidane has decided to speak out about one of the topics that has surrounded France’s camp in recent days. Ahead of the Nations League match against Turkey on Sunday, the coach addressed the rumors of a complicated relationship with Kylian Mbappe and made it clear that he is not pleased with what is being said.
In the pre-match press conference, Zidane did not hide his discomfort with the reports. “I don’t understand it, but it’s not a big deal, which is why I’m not going to get into the debate. I have the relationship of a coach with his player and everything is going perfectly. I can’t stop things from being said, but they are nonsense. It’s a shame and quite annoying,” he explained.
The speculation began when several French media outlets reported that Mbappe’s relationship with Zidane was less fluid than the one he had with Didier Deschamps.
One of the possible points of friction is said to be his role on the pitch, since in Zidane’s first matches in charge the coach placed him on the left wing, with Ousmane Dembele as the center forward, a decision that reportedly caused some discomfort. However, the former Real Madrid coach moved to dismiss all the rumors, insisting that the relationship between them is very good.
Mbappe is back for the match against Turkey
Beyond the rumors, the most relevant news for France is that Mbappe will be back in the squad. Zidane confirmed that the forward is available for the match against Turkey, after he missed the 3-1 defeat to Italy as a precaution because of muscle discomfort. “It changes everything, we prefer having him than not having him. There is no problem, he will be with us tomorrow,” the coach said.
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What is still unknown is where he will play. Asked whether he would use him on the left wing again or in the center of the attack, Zidane kept the mystery: “You will see how we play. These are coach matters”.
With the noise around his relationship with Mbappe set aside, the focus now returns to the pitch, where France has a chance to react after the first defeat of the Zidane era.
Even if a point could be enough to secure its place in the final phase, the coach made it clear that the goal is to win, and that will be the first real test of how his team plays with its captain back.
