PARIS, Sept 18 (Reuters) – New France coach Zinedine Zidane unveiled his highly anticipated first squad on Friday for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, naming several new faces, including Liverpool centre back Jeremy Jacquet, who has impressed in his debut season at Anfield.
The 54-year-old Zidane, whose brilliance helped France to win their first World Cup on home soil in 1998, returns to the national team tasked with turning recent near-misses into trophies.
Zidane enjoyed a glittering managerial career at former club Real Madrid, leading the Spanish side to three successive Champions League titles. Similar success will be expected with France, who boast some of football’s most gifted players, as they build up to the 2028 European Championship and the 2030 World Cup.
France won the 2018 World Cup, finished runners-up to Argentina in 2022 and reached the semi-finals of this year’s showpiece tournament.
“I’ve always followed the French national team. I have a huge attachment to this team,” Zidane told a news conference.
“I’m fully aware of the task I’ve been given. I’m here to coach this team. There’s no break with the past. It’s a continuation of my ideas.”
Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, defenders Jacquet and Andy Diouf, midfielder Lucas Da Cunha and forward Esteban Lepaul were among the players given their first senior call-ups by Zidane.
Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is being eased back after returning from injury, and Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram were among the notable absentees in the 23-player squad.
Zidane confirmed that Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, France’s all-time leading scorer with 66 international goals, will remain captain of the national team.
Zidane was appointed as France coach until the 2030 World Cup in July, succeeding Didier Deschamps and becoming the third member of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning team to lead Les Bleus.
He will take charge for the first time in the Nations League group stage against Turkey in Izmit on September 25. France then travel to Belgium before hosting Italy and Belgium in October.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Goa; editing by Clare Fallon)
