Zidane repeats « very good » four times to praise Jacquet after France-Italy

Jérémy Jacquet established himself as one of the standout performers in France’s 1-1 draw with Italy, leaving Zinédine Zidane searching for superlatives to describe him.

In his second consecutive start for the Blues — following the victory in Belgium — the Liverpool centre-back delivered a solid display: clean defensively, reliable in duels and comfortable on the ball. At 21 years old, the player developed at Stade Rennais confirms he already possesses the attributes of a top-level defender.

When asked about his performance, Zidane pulled no punches. « How did I find him? Very good, very very good. Brave, not afraid to push forward. Very good in the duels. In short, he was once again… very good, » said the manager, before amusing himself at his own repetition: « I said it four times. »

Jacquet is capitalizing on a favorable context to establish himself in the squad. Mentored at Liverpool by Virgil van Dijk, he took over from Ibrahima Konaté at the Reds. For France, injuries to Konaté — now at Real Madrid — and William Saliba, combined with Dayot Upamecano’s suspension, have opened the door for him. He could be retained on Friday against Belgium, alongside Maxence Lacroix.

The player himself did not hide his pride at the manager’s compliments. « I’m very happy. We know what kind of player he was, and what kind of coach he was at Real. To receive some praise from him, I can only be happy, » Jacquet said, before discussing his relationship with Zidane: « He talks to me when he wants to, when he feels like giving me some instructions. »