Zidane reshapes France squad with five debutants and high-profile exits

Zinedine Zidane has named his first squad as head coach of the French national team, signalling a clear intent to rebuild the side following the departure of Didier Deschamps. The selection, announced on Friday, includes five players making their international debuts in the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

The new call-ups comprise Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, Liverpool centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha, Inter Milan’s Andy Diouf, and Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. Zidane stated that these players "deserve to be here" and that he wants to see them involved in the team’s development.

The squad announcement also marked the end of an era for two senior figures. Zidane ruled out a return for 38-year-old Karim Benzema, who has not played for France since the World Cup four years ago due to injury. He also officially ended the international career of 35-year-old N’Golo Kante, the 2018 World Cup winner, citing the need for the team to evolve.

France is scheduled to play Turkey on 25 September and Belgium on 28 September, before hosting Italy on 2 October and Belgium again on 5 October. The selection process highlights a focus on specific positional needs, particularly in defence.

Zidane indicated that Andy Diouf, who plays in midfield for Inter Milan, will be deployed at left back for France. This decision, alongside the recall of Adrien Truffert, whose last cap was four years ago, addresses a weakness identified during this year’s World Cup. Zidane described the choice of Diouf and Truffert as a "strong choice" for the position.

The inclusion of 21-year-old Jeremy Jacquet, who joined Liverpool from Rennes in a deal worth a reported 70 million euros, was influenced by his youth development history. Zidane noted that he had followed Jacquet for a long time because the player had been alongside Zidane’s son in youth teams.