Zidane reunites with Jacquet at Stade de France after thrashing Belgium

Zinédine Zidane and Aimé Jacquet reunited in the corridors of Stade de France after the Blues’ victory over Belgium (4-1). Under the watchful eye of Christian Karembeu, Laurent Blanc and Robert Pirès, the current manager embraced his former coach before insisting on capturing the moment in a photo.

Jacquet, who came as a simple supporter, did not hide his admiration for Zidane’s squad. “There is quality, it’s really impressive,” he whispered to his former number 10, describing the performance as a “fireworks display”. Zidane returned the compliment with undisguised tenderness: “Aimé, it was kindness. It’s beautiful, that’s what I told him.”

Beyond the emotion, the scene reveals a real connection between the two men. Not so much in playing principles — football has evolved profoundly since 1998 — but in the human management of the group. Robert Pirès, a witness to the scene, drew the parallel with precision on Téléfoot: “Aimé was incredible. With the starters, it was easy. But where he was strong was with us, the substitutes. He comes to talk to you, reassure you, and tell you: ‘I will need you’. What Zizou does is the same thing. That’s why we see him very close to the players. With this kind of manager, you go to war.”

Zidane, who spent a long time alongside Jacquet as a player before meeting him as a peer, seems to have integrated this philosophy at the heart of his method. The convincing victory over Belgium, built on a united collective, is perhaps its first concrete demonstration.