France coach Zidane held a press conference to announce his first squad list since taking charge and answered questions from journalists in attendance. This article is the third part of the press conference.

Coach Zidane, hello. We notice you have not called up N'Golo Kanté, who previously missed the World Cup. Did you speak with him before announcing the squad? Given that Kanté is now 35 years old, do you believe his international career with France has come to an end?

Yes, to answer simply: no, I did not call up Kanté. This is genuinely a matter of tactical choice and squad planning. I currently believe that to move this team forward, I need to use some different players, but that does not cast doubt on Kanté's abilities and qualities. His contributions to the French national team have been extraordinary, and he is a truly great player whom I greatly admire. Although I have not had the opportunity to speak directly with him previously, I want to take this opportunity to express my highest respect for his past contributions, his professionalism, and his exemplary conduct as a player.

However, these are decisions in competitive sport. This is my first training camp as a coach, and as you mentioned, N'Golo is 35 years old, and I hope to coach this French team for four years. Therefore, I have made this decision—these are new choices, looking toward the future.

Coach Zidane, hello. We notice that Aurélien Tchouaméni is also among the players not called up. When selecting players, what is the difference between him and Camavinga?

No, regarding Aurélien's situation, I think it is exactly as I emphasized in my opening remarks at the press conference. He is a player who has not competed for nearly two months and currently has only 180 minutes of play, with just one start. From the perspective of personal injury recovery and regaining match fitness, I believe keeping him in Madrid is wiser and more appropriate, because we are about to face four consecutive crucial matches.

Moreover, this is my first official training camp as national team coach, but this is not his first call-up. Therefore, whether to protect the player's physical health or from a training rhythm perspective, allowing him to remain at his club for systematic preparation is the best choice for him at this time.

Hello Zinedine, in this training squad, you have called up Maxence Lacroix. He has made a remarkable leap in his career 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? Which of his technical qualities impressed you most?

Yes, Lacroix is an excellent player. Like other excellent players, he has always been in consideration for our national team. As you mentioned, he joined a big club this summer and quickly established himself as a starter. His technical attributes are very attractive, and being a left-footed player, he also brings significant tactical value to our defense. Overall, I believe he has the ability and mental toughness to establish himself in the French national team and perform well in high-level matches. Calling him up was one of my clear decisions after careful consideration.

Good evening, Zinedine. In recent years, France's tactical approach seems somewhat lost—the overall style is too attacking, while the midfield lacks creativity, which resembles the difficult situation when Paul Pogba was in the squad. In your view, is reorganizing and restructuring the midfield the biggest challenge facing the national team?

No, no, no, I do not think that at all. To be frank, I believe my job is to inherit and build upon past successes. Of course, I have my own coaching philosophy, and there may be some differences in certain concepts compared to other coaches—that is certainly true. But regarding France's current situation, I disagree with your characterization of "restructuring." There is no major project requiring complete overhaul.

Looking at recent performances, despite ups and downs, the French team has generally performed well. Therefore, the midfield is not a disaster area requiring complete reconstruction. All we need is to guide this team with a new tactical perspective and training methodology, and that is my next objective—to work with all the players selected for this training camp to create a new tactical vision together.

Good evening, Zinedine. Among the forwards, Esteban Pavard has received his first call-up to Les Bleus. Why did you decide to call him up? What about Esteban impressed you? Which aspects of his game do you particularly value and appreciate?

His tactical style differs from the players we typically see. To be honest, I personally value players who excel at breaking down defenses in tight, confined spaces, because this technical attribute demonstrates great tactical value when facing teams that defend deep with all players in a compact formation.

In short, he is a very attractive player to me, and I want to observe him closely. I have watched him before, and the team has systematically analyzed video footage of his matches. He has strong goal-scoring ability, so now I simply want to bring him in and observe his performance firsthand.

Good evening, Zinedine. In today's announced squad, you have positioned Warren Zaïre-Emery as a midfielder. Does this mean in your tactical plan he will be fixed at midfielder, or do you think he also has the tactical versatility to play as a left-back?

No, because I have positioned him as a midfielder, the reason is quite simple—I intend to have him play in the midfield position. In fact, the position classification in this official squad list truly reflects my tactical vision. This is similar to the case of Abdou Diallo: Diallo currently plays for Inter Milan, and his tactical role at his club may be different, but in my national team system, I clearly intend for him to play as a left-back, which is my consideration.

Website AF đã ra mắt! Xem tin tức đầy đủ, bình luận, chi tiết trận đấu và thống kê trên máy tính. Truy cập: www.allfootballapp.com