Zinedine Zidane's first match at home as coach of 'Les Bleus' ended in a 1-1 draw against the Italian team. It was an exciting duel at the Stade de France, with a great performance by the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma that prevented the French victory.

First modification: 03/10/2026 - 04:44

The French team appeared for the first time at the Stade de France with Zinedine Zidane at the helm, in a Nations League match that ended in a 1-1 draw with Italy.

Michael Olise put France ahead in the 55th minute with a curling shot from 20 yards that bounced off the crossbar following a short free kick taken by Rayan Cherki.

Poor defending midway through the second half allowed central defender Alessandro Bastoni to enter the box and place a low shot near the right post.

"I'm disappointed for the players because we deserved better. We had opportunities to put the game away, but we didn't, and that's football sometimes," Zidane said. "But it was encouraging. Honestly, I'm proud of how we played."

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roar of approval

When the stadium announcer read Zidane's name after the lineups were announced, a roar filled the Stade de France.

Fans then began chanting "Zizou, Zizou" — the affectionate nickname by which Zidane is known among French soccer fans — and a banner read "Bienvenue Chez Toi" (Welcome home).

"It was moving," Zidane said of the ovation he received. "We would have loved to give a victory to the stadium and the entire nation, but it couldn't be."

Zidane's appointment as national coach has been received with great enthusiasm. At a train station near the stadium, there was even a message for attendees: "Welcome to Zinedine Zidane's first game in charge," a woman announced over the public address system.

Zidane, 54, was named France coach after the World Cup, replacing Didier Deschamps. They won their first two matches 1-0, away against Türkiye and Belgium in the Nations League, with Olise scoring the solo winning goal against the Belgians.

Zidane was facing Italy for the first time since the 2006 World Cup final, which earned him expulsion for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi in extra time.

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