Zidane set to surprise with Pablo Pagis for his first France squad

Zinédine Zidane will unveil his first squad as France manager on September 18, and Pablo Pagis is among the candidates for a surprise call-up. The Paris FC attacking midfielder, already pre-selected by the new manager, has never been officially called up to the national team.

Revealed at Lorient, where he was also loaned to Nîmes and Laval, Pagis gradually established himself in Ligue 1 before taking another step this summer by joining Paris FC for 15 million euros. A transfer motivated both by the ambition of the Parisian club and his desire to progress and get closer to the Blues.

Questioned after the Paris FC versus OL match, the player reacted cautiously to his pre-selection. “It’s good, it’s encouraging. It pushes me to keep going in that direction. I was a bit lost at the start of the season, but I feel it’s starting to come. Physically, I feel great. I have to keep it up. It will pay off,” he said.

His captain Pierre Lees-Melou makes no secret of his enthusiasm. “It’s fantastic, it’s wonderful. We’re all very happy for him. He deserves it with his last season and this start to the season. We hope to help him grow even more. It’s a good project for him, a coach for him. We’re very proud to be able to help him go even higher.” Manager Liam Rosenior agrees, describing Pagis as a “fabulous footballer”.

The player himself, recently interviewed by Paris Match, acknowledged dreaming of a France call-up while refusing to make it an obsession. “I’m not making it an obsession and I especially don’t want to put pressure on myself with it. But obviously we think about it,” he said. Zidane’s answer is expected on September 18.