Zinedine Zidane will face Italy again, this time as France coach, in a challenge that brings back memories of one of the most famous episodes of his career, the clash with Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.
In a press conference before the Nations League match, Zidane spoke openly about the episode, admitting that he was not proud of his actions but stressing that he had no regrets about what happened in Berlin. In the 2006 final, Zidane was sent off for headbutting Materazzi, as Italy won the trophy on penalties.
"The images are appearing everywhere constantly, I've seen them. Since that day I haven't spoken to Materazzi. I'm not proud of what I did, I've always said that, but at the same time I have no regrets. It's part of my career. Fortunately, that's not all I've done in my career. There are positive and beautiful moments, and I prefer to remember them. You can't have a career made up only of great moments," Zidane declared.
This time the match has another significance for the Frenchman, as it will be his first home match since taking charge of the French national team. Zidane has started his adventure on the bench with two consecutive victories, 1-0 against Turkey and 1-0 against Belgium. France will host Italy on October 2 at the Stade de France.
Italy, on the other hand, started the campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Belgium, but responded with a 4-1 victory over Turkey. For France, the most important absence is that of Kylian Mbappe, who was injured in the first matches of this group and will not be ready for the challenge with Italy. Zidane has stressed that the team does not rely on a small group of players.
"There is no A team and B team, it is just a squad of 23 players. It is my job to make the selections for each match," said the French coach.
Zidane also spoke about the situation of Mohamed “Momo” Sanhadji, France’s former head of security and logistics, who is facing legal proceedings on charges including corruption, influence peddling, misuse of public funds and fraud. L’Equipe reported that Sanhadji was not part of France’s recent squad.
"I'm unhappy because I know him very well. Other people are dealing with this situation and I can't speak for him, but I can only wish him the best and I will keep the positive memories of the experiences he had here," Zidane said.
Thus, the return of France-Italy is not only an important Nations League match, but also another chapter for Zidane, who 20 years after the Berlin final will experience this match from the bench of the French national team.
