Zidane locks down France access and draws Domenech comparison

Zinédine Zidane has made his first mark as France manager by introducing a notably more closed communication regime than his predecessor Didier Deschamps, raising questions in the French sports press.

During the press conference announcing his first squad — called up for four Nations League matches — the new manager clarified, alongside his press officer Xavier Giraudon, that photographers would no longer have access to players arriving at Clairefontaine. Images will now be produced and distributed by the French Football Federation’s internal services.

Journalist Jean Resseguié, speaking on RTL, highlighted several other signals in the same direction. Unlike Deschamps, Zidane did not hold a press conference on the first day of the gathering. Individual interviews with players were also cancelled for this first meeting. “He is locking things down,” Resseguié summarized. “Because he wants to focus on the players first and especially put them in a bubble where they should only think about football.”

While the journalist understands the sporting focus Zidane is seeking, he issued an explicit warning: “We need to be careful he doesn’t shut himself off a bit like Domenech, that he doesn’t push the media aside, that he doesn’t exclude himself from media meetings where he’s going to annoy some people who will want to find out what’s happening.” The reference to Raymond Domenech, whose communication management had contributed to strained relations with the press before the 2010 World Cup disaster, illustrates the perceived risks.

Zidane succeeds Deschamps, whose contract was not renewed after Euro 2024. This is his first experience managing a national team, having led Real Madrid between 2016 and 2021. How he manages the balance between protecting the group and media transparency will be one of the first tests of his tenure.