Zinedine Zidane has come to the defence of Michael Olise after France's Nations League defeat to Italy.
Les Bleus lost under Zidane's guidance for the first time after going down 3-1 to the Azzurri on Thursday.
It marked France's first away defeat to Italy in six games (W4 D2), with their previous such loss coming in May 1962.
It was also the ninth time France have lost to Italy after scoring the opening goal, the most such defeats Les Bleus have suffered against any nation.
Olise opened the scoring for France in the 10th minute, but faced criticism after the match for his performance in the second half.
France as a team managed just eight shots, two of which were on target, after the break, amounting to 0.43 xG, while Italy created 2.04 xG worth of chances in the second half, including Francesco Pio Esposito's penalty.
When asked about Olise's display, Zidane said: "You can't always play the same way for 90 minutes.
Les Bleus are defeated in Italy. We’ll be looking to seal our spot in the quarter-finals against Türkiye on Sunday 3-1 #ITAFRA https://t.co/5XboA7EeM6
— French Team (@FrenchTeam) November 12, 2026
"He has scored quite a few goals for us across the last two international breaks, and he has been very good. That's what I'm focusing on.
"I don't think he was a little less effective in the second half. We were all a little less effective in the second half. And when the team isn't playing as well, it affects individual performances."
Only Harry Kane has scored more goals (seven) and recorded more direct goal involvements (eight) than Olise (five goals, two assists) in the 2026-27 Nations League.
France host Turkiye in their final group match, with a draw enough to secure a top-two spot in Group A1.
Les Bleus are second in the group, but level on points with leaders Italy, while Belgium are a point behind in third.