Thierry Henry has never been shy about what he thinks of Zinedine Zidane, and this week he went further than usual. Speaking on RMC's Rothen s'enflamme programme about Zidane's arrival as France manager, Henry called it "extraordinary" and said that, when it comes to football, Zidane is "on par with God". He added that he meant no offence to believers.
Zidane is 54 and has been waiting for this job since he left Real Madrid. "I told myself that the only thing I wanted to do after Real Madrid was this," he has said. The appointment has already come with a result: France won 1-0 away to Turkey on 25 September in his first match in charge.
A rare debut win
The win matters beyond the points. Zidane became the first France coach to win on debut since Aime Jacquet in 1994, which is a better omen than most managers get. It also gave Henry something to point at when talk turned to expectations.
Henry's comments were about more than affection, though. "We still need results," he said, noting that Zidane has already achieved some and will have to keep delivering. Then came a line he said he had used about Didier Deschamps too: "good luck!" It was a dry reminder that the France job gets heavy quickly, whoever holds it.
What the players think
The reaction inside the squad is part of the story. Henry said the players have already been talking about Zidane in public, and that he saw their eyes light up. He found that perfectly normal, because "he's Zizou".
That kind of pull is useful for a manager who has to bring a generation of established players around to a new idea. It is also something a 1998 World Cup winner brings that few coaches can. Whether it survives a bad night is another matter, and nobody can test that yet.
Italy at the Stade de France
The next test comes quickly. France host Italy at the Stade de France on Friday evening, with kick-off at 19:45 UK time in the Nations League. Nothing that happens there will settle anything about a tenure only a few days old, but Henry's point stands: the praise is already in, and the results are what come next.
Match facts: Turkey 0-1 France, UEFA Nations League, 25 September 2026, Zidane's first game in charge, first France-coach debut win since Aime Jacquet in 1994. France host Italy at the Stade de France, Friday 2 October, 19:45 UK time. Zidane is 54. Source reporting: Goal (Henry quotes from RMC), BBC Sport (fixture).
0 Comments