Zinedine Zidane reflects on his first defeat as France manager against Italy

Zinedine Zidane suffered his first loss since taking charge of the French national team, following a 3-1 defeat against Italy in the UEFA Nations League. Speaking in the post-match press conference at the San Siro, Zidane stated that the defeat is part of the process. While France started the game strongly with good possession, the coach acknowledged clear defensive difficulties in the second half. He noted that he would only be frustrated if the team failed to create chances, adding that the focus now is on analyzing their defensive errors without the ball. Regarding the absences of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé due to injury, Zidane dismissed the idea that these absences cost them the game, expressing hope that Mbappé will return for the upcoming match against Turkey. France initially took the lead through Michael Olise in the 10th minute, but Italy secured the win with goals from Francesco Pio Esposito and Davide Frattesi.