The French national football team is set to reconvene, with upcoming matches against Italy on November 12 and Turkey on November 15. During a press conference, Zinédine Zidane, the head coach of Les Bleus, spoke about 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward Désiré Doué.
Zidane: “I like what he does on the pitch, and I see a bit of myself in him.”
“Like all players—and I’m fond of all my players—what Désiré has been doing for some time now is magnificent. He is a young player with a great deal of talent; he’s attentive, eager to improve, and driven to win things. I like what he does on the pitch, and I see a bit of myself in him from when I was a player, because he wants to grow alongside his teammates—and he’s doing that very well.”
The 1998 World Cup winner also addressed the case of 20-year-old PSG midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery. While he appreciates the qualities of the Parisian-born talent, he envisions him playing exclusively in the midfield.
Zidane: “What I want him to do is simply be himself.”
“I don’t see Warren Zaïre-Emery as a right-back at all. He belongs in the midfield—this isn’t a club setting. When I select a player, I want to see him in his natural position. What I want him to do is simply be himself, and play the way he does for his club. The only thing is that he needs to do it in the midfield.”
Every player must adapt to the decisions made by their national team coach or club manager. While a certain level of versatility might be required at the club level, the situation can be entirely different when playing for the national team. Luis Enrique, the coach of the capital club, places great emphasis on his players’ adaptability and versatility. Even if Zidane holds a different vision, the experience gained while playing in a different position will invariably prove beneficial.
Both Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué have taken a significant step forward under the guidance of the Spanish tactician. Naturally, this talent and experience will also be an asset when they wear the French national team jersey. It remains to be seen how Zidane will deploy them and how they will adjust to the system used by Les Bleus. In any case, Doué certainly appreciated the compliments from a legend of French football—and it is likely that the legend will prove to be right.
