In the 5th round of the UEFA Nations League A, Group A1, France lost 1-3 away to Italy, suffering their first defeat under Zidane. After the match, France coach Zidane attended a press conference and discussed the team's performance and other topics.
Did the team lose its rhythm in the second half?
Yes, we started the first half very well, had excellent possession, and created some chances. Although we also started the second half well, we did encounter difficulties afterwards. I think we performed well with the ball, but our defense was slightly weaker, and that's my explanation for the match.
A few minutes ago, Roberto Mancini said that Italy's victory was especially a victory of courage. Did France lack some courage tonight in their quest for victory?
Not at all, not at all. On the contrary. I think we were committed to the game, but we performed slightly worse defensively. For example, when pressing, we lost some duels, and our performance without the ball was not as good as before.
I think we played very well with the ball, with some beautiful combinations, especially in the first half. In the second half, our performance gradually declined. Especially after conceding the second goal, we deviated a bit from our game rhythm. But this is also part of the learning process. Now we need to rest well, analyze this match seriously, and then think about the next match, which is the last remaining game on Sunday.
What displeased you most tonight? This match also forced us to talk about the right-back position again. Will what you saw tonight make you change your mind?
No. Now we will analyze the match. You analyze the match here and do your job; we, first and foremost, need to focus on recovery. I think we are all facing this problem together. In any case, our entire team's defense was a bit weaker. We will work hard on these aspects while continuing to adhere to our playing principles.
Most importantly, we cannot think that we must make changes just because we lost a match. This is also part of our learning process.
As a player, you were an attacking player who could decide matches, just like Olise is today. He performed very well in his first training camp, and his performance at the start of the game today was also excellent, but then he faded a bit, as did the team as a whole. Especially in the second half, we rarely saw him. How do you evaluate his performance? In what areas does he need to improve to consistently maintain his form throughout the match?
You put it well. It's impossible for a player to always play the same way for 90 minutes, maintaining the same performance. I think that during these two training camps, he scored quite a few goals for us and performed very well, and I will still value that.
I don't think he performed worse in the second half. Of course, our entire team's performance was slightly worse in the second half. When the overall performance is not good, it will also be reflected in individual performance.
Tonight, France also lost the top spot in Nations League Group A and must win against Turkey on Sunday. Does the requirement for such a result in the next match cause you some concern?
No, because we were already prepared. We hoped to win tonight to secure qualification early, but now we can't. In any case, we must win the last match. Again, even if we had won tonight, we would still need to strive for victory in the next match. Tonight's match didn't go so smoothly; we will analyze it, then rest well, and prepare for the last remaining match.
You said during this training camp that the team lacked attacking efficiency in the previous training camp. Do you have any regrets in this regard tonight? We think of the chances for Barcola and Cherki. Do you regret this? And how do you explain this situation?
During the last training camp, we were indeed a bit disappointed because, considering our possession performance, everyone was not satisfied with the conversion rate of chances to goals. But tonight we still created quite a few dangerous chances. It's just that our shots hit the post and didn't go in. The most important thing is to create chances. Of course, once you have chances, you have to try to score, but I'm not disappointed about that.
If we hadn't had so much possession tonight and hadn't created these chances, I might have been more disappointed. Therefore, what I need to analyze, and what I already know, is that our performance without the ball was indeed not good enough.
Many players were absent from the team today, including some key players. Do you think that when Italy gradually gained the upper hand, France lacked a leader on the field, someone who could calm everyone down and continue to play well?
No, I think everyone was focused. The only problem is what I've been saying: in the second half of tonight's match, our performance was indeed slightly worse, especially defensively, where our efficiency was not as high. This can also happen. Having said that, I have no other explanation to give you. We need to analyze the match, review these situations, and then try to correct some problems in the next match.
After losing this match, you obviously won't change everything. But in the upcoming matches, is it possible that Olise will be deployed in the number 10 position?
You'll see in the next match.
This result means the team has not yet secured qualification, and the players on the bench are relatively inexperienced. Will this change your plans for Sunday's starting lineup?
No. We had planned to make some adjustments anyway, and we will make some adjustments; this won't change anything. Now we will rest well and then prepare seriously for the last remaining match.
Malo Gusto did not perform well tonight, and he has also played very little in the past two months. Was it putting him in a difficult situation to play this match at San Siro?
No, not at all. He was called up and played his match. He conceded a penalty, but that happens. I don't think it can be said that he played a bad game. In any case, I will analyze the team's performance as a whole, rather than discussing any individual player's performance.
Can you give us an update on Mbappe? Do we have a chance to see him play in Bordeaux on Sunday?
Yes, I even hope for two chances. (Laughs) I hope he will be ready for Sunday's match. In any case, the original plan was for him to rest today because he had a slight injury, and then try to have him available for Sunday. That's what we hope to see.
Please tell us about Italy. What differences have you noticed compared to the first leg? Was there anything that impressed or surprised you?
I think they played similarly defensively to the first leg, because they have always been very good defensively. Maybe, I don't know, this is my personal opinion, I think Italy played better with the ball in the first leg. However, they won tonight, so there's nothing to say. Congratulations to Italy. Now we must think about the next match.