Zinedine Zidane discusses his tactical plans for the France national team and Kylian Mbappé

Having taken charge as the new head coach of the France national team, Zinedine Zidane has announced his first squad, revealing his tactical plans for the team's star player, Kylian Mbappé, and his views on the captaincy. As reported by Goal.com, the legendary manager confirmed that the forward will remain captain while sharing his thoughts on his position on the pitch. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

According to RMC Sport, while announcing his first 24-man squad for the upcoming Nations League matches, Zinedine Zidane confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will retain the captain's armband. At the same time, the experienced coach hinted that he prefers to see the star forward in a position other than the center.

Tactical changes and wing play

At the press conference, the new head coach also addressed the five new names in the squad and praised Mbappé's ability to play anywhere across the attacking line. According to him, the player himself has repeatedly emphasized that he can operate in all three attacking positions.

“He is capable of playing in all three attacking positions, and he has said so himself. However, for example, I really like his play on the left wing,” Zinedine Zidane emphasized to journalists.

Defensive duties and response to criticism

Beyond positional changes, Kylian Mbappé's defensive work rate was also a focal point of the press conference. Following his recent transfer to Real Madrid, the defensive contribution of forwards has been a subject of intense debate in Spain.

Zinedine Zidane dismissed such criticism as unfounded and clearly stated what he expects from his captain on the pitch. In the manager's view, the entire team, including Kylian, must work when the ball is lost, and this situation poses no problem.

Staying away from politics

The press conference also touched upon non-football political issues, including the 2027 French presidential election and Mbappé's recent controversial actions. However, Zinedine Zidane firmly refused to comment on these topics.

He emphasized that he is dedicating himself solely to his role as head coach of the France national team and will not get involved in other political matters. Thus, the legendary coach once again confirmed that he is focusing all his attention on results on the pitch.