France national team coach Zidane held a press conference to announce his first squad list since taking office and answered media questions on site. This article is the third part of the press conference.

Mr. Zidane, hello. We noticed you did not call up N'Golo Kante, who was previously absent from the World Cup. Did you communicate with him before announcing the squad? In your opinion, for Kante, who is 35 years old, has his career with the French national team come to an end?

Yes, in short, the answer is no, I did not call up Kante. This is indeed a choice in terms of tactics and team planning. Now, I am confident that to push this team forward, some other players need to be activated, but this does not at all call into question Kante's ability and quality. The contribution he has made to the French national team is remarkable. He is a great player whom I greatly admire. Although I have not had the opportunity to communicate with him directly in the past, I want to use this opportunity today to express my highest respect for his past efforts, his professionalism, and his contribution as an exemplary player.

However, this is a choice in competitive sport. This is my first training camp since taking office, and as you mentioned, N'Golo is already 35 years old, and I expect to work as France's coach for four years. So I made this decision—it is a new, forward-looking choice.

Mr. Zidane, hello. We noticed that among the players not selected for the squad is Aurélien Tchouameni. When selecting players, what is the reason for the different choice between him and Camavinga?

Regarding Aurélien's situation, I think this is what I emphasized in my opening remarks at the press conference. He has been absent due to injury for almost two full months and currently has only 180 minutes of playing time, with just one start. From the perspective of his personal injury recovery and fitness restoration, I think it makes more sense and is more appropriate to let him continue to be in Madrid, as we will face four very crucial consecutive matches.

Additionally, this is my first official training camp with the national team, but it is not his first call-up. Therefore, both for the player's physical health protection and from the perspective of training rhythm, letting him remain with his club to continue systematic training preparation is the best choice for him at this time.

Hello Zinedine, in this training camp squad, you called up Maxence Lacroix. He has made a career leap over the past year—not only joining a top European club in the summer transfer window, but now also receiving his first call-up to the French national team. How do you evaluate his rapid development during this period? What technical qualities impressed you most about him?

Yes, Lacroix is an excellent player. Like other great players, he is always within the scope of our national team's monitoring. As you mentioned, he joined a big club this summer and quickly secured a starting position. His technical characteristics are very attractive, and as a left-footed player, he also brings considerable tactical value to the defense. In short, I believe he truly has the ability and mental toughness to establish himself in the French national team and play high-quality matches. Calling him up is one of my clear decisions made after careful consideration.

Good evening, Zinedine. In recent years, France's tactical approach seems to have drifted somewhat—the overall style leans toward attack, but the midfield lacks creativity. This is somewhat similar to the difficulties Paul Pogba faced when he was in the team. Do you think reorganizing and rebuilding the midfield is the biggest challenge facing this national team?

No, no, no, I don't think so at all. Frankly, I see my role as inheriting and continuing the foundation of past success. Of course, I have my own coaching philosophy, and some of my ideas may differ from other coaches, no doubt. But regarding France's current situation, I disagree with your statement about "rebuilding." There is no major overhaul required for this team.

Looking at recent performances, despite ups and downs, the French team has performed quite well overall. Therefore, the midfield position is not at all a disaster area that needs to be completely rebuilt. What we need is simply a new tactical perspective and coaching methods to guide this team, and that is my next objective—to work with all the players selected for this training camp to create a new tactical approach.

Good evening, Zinedine. Among the forwards, Esteban Lepaul has received his first call-up to the national team. Why did you decide to call him up? What impressed you about Esteban? What aspects do you value and like about him?

His tactical style is different from what we usually see in players. Frankly, I personally greatly appreciate players who are good at breaking through defenses in tight, confined spaces, because when facing low-block defending teams that sit deep with all players in a very compact formation, this technical characteristic demonstrates tremendous tactical value.

In short, he is a very interesting player to me, and I want to observe him closely. I have followed him before, and the team has also systematically analyzed his match footage. He has strong goal-scoring ability, so now I just want to bring him closer and observe his performance firsthand.

Good evening, Zinedine. In the squad announced today, you classified Warren Zaïre-Emery as a midfielder. Does this mean in your tactical plan, he will be positioned as a midfielder, or do you think he also has tactical potential to play as a wing-back?

No, because I have registered him in the midfielder position, the reason is very simple—I intend for him to play as a midfielder. In fact, the position classification on this official squad list does represent my tactical vision. This is similar to the situation with Pape Sarr: Sarr currently plays for Marseille, and his tactical role at the club may be different, but in my national team system, I explicitly plan for him to play as a left-back. This is my consideration.

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