Zinedine Zidane Reacts to First France Defeat After Italy Loss, Says Setback Is Part of the Process

Posted : 13 November 2026

Zinedine Zidane has acknowledged France's defensive shortcomings following his first defeat as national team manager, but insists the setback against Italy should be viewed as part of the team's learning process.

France suffered a 3-1 defeat at the San Siro on Thursday after surrendering an early advantage in their UEFA Nations League encounter. Michael Olise initially put Les Bleus ahead, but Italy responded through Francesco Pio Esposito's brace and a goal from Davide Frattesi to complete an impressive comeback.

Zidane's team enjoyed a positive opening period and controlled much of the possession, but their performance declined after the interval as Italy took advantage of defensive mistakes to turn the contest around.

Speaking after the match, the former Real Madrid manager admitted that his players struggled to maintain their defensive organisation, particularly during the second half.

He rejected suggestions that France lacked courage, explaining that the team remained competitive but lost control of important moments after conceding Italy's second goal.

Zidane also highlighted the positives from his team's performance, pointing to their ability to create scoring opportunities. France recorded 60 per cent possession and 18 attempts on goal, but were unfortunate to see two efforts strike the woodwork.

According to the France manager, the biggest concern was not their inability to score but the lack of defensive discipline when they did not have possession. He believes the team must examine those weaknesses before their next fixture.

The defeat pushed France into second place in Nations League Group A1, level on 10 points with Italy but behind on the head-to-head record.

Despite the disappointing result, Zidane maintained that one defeat would not force him to abandon his footballing philosophy. He believes the experience will help his players identify areas requiring improvement as they continue working towards their objectives.

France were also without influential forwards Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele for the trip to Milan. However, Zidane dismissed the suggestion that their absence was responsible for the defeat.

The former France captain revealed that Mbappe could return for Sunday's final group match against Turkey after missing the Italy encounter with a minor physical problem. The decision not to risk the Real Madrid forward was taken as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Italy manager Roberto Mancini had plenty of reasons to celebrate after his team moved to the top of Group A1 and extended their unbeaten run to four matches.

One of the biggest positives was the performance of Francesco Pio Esposito, whose two goals took his international tally to nine in just 14 appearances.

Mancini was particularly impressed with the Inter Milan striker and suggested that he has the potential to challenge Italy's long-standing goalscoring record, currently held by legendary forward Gigi Riva with 35 international goals.

The Italian manager expressed hope that Esposito would continue finding the net and contribute to the national team's success alongside his teammates.

Esposito could even have completed a hat-trick against France, but his older brother Sebastiano missed Italy's first penalty of the evening before the younger striker successfully converted the second.

Mancini jokingly explained that the decision to allow Sebastiano to take the earlier spot-kick was a family matter, confirming that Pio remains Italy's first-choice penalty taker.

Italy will now travel to Belgium for their final group fixture, while France prepare to host Turkey on Sunday, November 15, knowing that a positive result will be important in securing their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.

Zinedine Zidane Reacts to First France Defeat After Italy Loss, Says Setback Is Part of the Process

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