Leading France at home for the first time, Zidane emphasizes that he has no fear.

France, nicknamed the "Les Bleus," will host Italy at the Stade de France in the third round of Group A of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. Regarding his first home game with the team, Zinedine Zidane stated that he has no fear and is focused on achieving victory.

In the second round of the group stage, France defeated Belgium 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Olise.

As for Mancini's Italy, the "Azzurri" defeated Turkey 4-1 after goals from Bastoni, Fratesi, Caiode and Pio Esposito, and the team's morale was equally high.

French coach Zinedine Zidane said, "I am very excited to be back here, and it will be even more special when the stands are full of fans."

“Fear doesn’t exist, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. In my career, I’ve never thought about failure. On the contrary, I only see opportunities. I have an incredible team, and I’m ready to make this dream a reality and will give it my all.”

In their head-to-head record, France has a record of 1 win and 1 loss in their last two matches against Italy.

It's worth mentioning that during Zidane's playing career, he was shown a red card in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest. Italy ultimately defeated France in a penalty shootout to win the championship.

Recalling the incident, Zidane said, "That scene is still being played over and over again, and I've seen it myself. I haven't spoken to Marco Materazzi since that day. I'm not proud of what I did back then, and I've always said that. But I don't regret it, because it was part of my career."

"Fortunately, that wasn't the whole story of my career. I've had many positive and enjoyable moments, and I prefer to remember those memories. Besides, a player's career can't be all good every moment."

Image source: Internet