Zidane recalls Juventus: «It bothered me a little» with Lippi

Zinedine Zidane shared an amusing anecdote about his years at Juventus on Tuesday in Milan during the press conference preceding the UEFA Nations League match between Italy and France. The head coach of the French team admitted that the daily tactical sessions imposed by Marcello Lippi bothered him at the time.

«Frankly, I would say tactics,» Zidane answered when asked what Italy represented to him, from inside the San Siro stadium. «I remember we spent thirty minutes every day working on tactics with Lippi. Every day, without exception!”

The Ballon d’Or winner and 1998 World Cup champion added with a smile: «For a player like me, who just wanted to play the ball, it bothered me a little. But it was also necessary teaching. I had to go through this experience, and looking back, I think I did the right thing.”

Zidane joined Juventus in 1996, after his start at Cannes and his flourishing spell at Bordeaux. Five seasons in Serie A under Lippi’s supervision transformed him into a world-class player before his move to Real Madrid in 2001. A career path that the 52-year-old coach today values with gratitude.

«There were real teachers in Italy in the tactical field. I learned a lot thanks to them,» he continued. «After that came confidence. I think Italy gave me confidence in myself, and I tried to repay that confidence on the pitch. So, in the end, things went well for me here…”

Thus Zidane returns to a stadium full of his personal memories, this time from the Italian bench.