France national team: Zinedine Zidane's staff is already experiencing major tensions!

Behind Zinédine Zidane's promising start as manager of the French national team, things are already turbulent behind the scenes. L'Équipe reports altercations between kit managers, sick leave, and internal dysfunction within the staff.

The time has already come for Les Bleus to reunite. After a particularly turbulent first international break in September, both on and off the pitch, Zinédine Zidane is back with his men for a second training camp at the helm of the French national team. The coach began his tenure with a rather positive record, marked by three wins and a draw. However, this first break also revealed several organizational issues within the French delegation. Two months later, the French manager intends to continue building his squad and gradually implementing his methods. With several new faces called up, including the surprise inclusions of Pablo Pagis and Saël Kumbedi, this new international break should also allow them to consolidate the initial gains.

The schedule leaves little room for improvisation. The international players arrived at Clairefontaine on Monday to prepare for their next two matches, starting with a game against Italy on Thursday evening. Les Bleus will then face Belgium before concluding the November break. This is a shorter schedule than the one in September, which required significant logistical planning for travel and matches. This time, Zidane and his staff hope to be able to fully concentrate on the team's performance and preparation for their two games. But behind the smiles at Clairefontaine and the image of a team moving forward, things are far from calm behind the scenes at the French national team. The sports daily L'Équipe reveals that the first few months of the Zidane era have already been marked by several organizational hiccups and internal tensions.

An altercation within the staff

The first international break had left its mark. The sock incident in Belgium cost the French Football Federation a €10,000 fine after a delayed kickoff caused by the wrong colored strapping. Other incidents also caused confusion. Kylian Mbappé was left alone with the Turkish flag after the teams entered the pitch, Michael Olise had to remove a warm-up saucer left on the field after the national anthems against Italy, and Zinédine Zidane even missed the beginning of the French national anthem in Izmit. These were sometimes minor errors, but they highlighted certain shortcomings in the delegation's preparation. And the problems weren't limited to these blunders visible in front of the cameras. According to L'Équipe, a kit manager who joined the senior squad at the start of the season is currently on sick leave after several tense moments with a colleague. This is Bastien Geray, who was promoted after working with the U21 team. Kamel Lahlouh, whose appointment to the management position was allegedly facilitated by his close relationship with Fabien Barthez, reportedly had a serious altercation with Bastien Geray during the first gathering.

According to information leaked to L'Équipe, Geray alerted his superiors, explaining that his colleague was ready to come to blows with him. Despite this escalation, his superiors, with Éric Latronico at the forefront, reportedly took no action to resolve the situation. Bastien Geray apparently felt that his superiors refused to intervene, fearing they would alienate members of Zinédine Zidane's inner circle. Shortly afterward, he was placed on sick leave. For this November international break, he will be replaced by Julien Memeteau, former manager of the French U21 team. This episode raises serious questions about the management of the team's logistics and human resources within the French national team delegation. Moreover, the difficulties don't end there. The French Football Federation (FFF) has also circulated an internal job posting to recruit an assistant to team manager Laurent George, while the security officer position is to be reorganized following the indictment of Mohamed Sanhadji. Behind the prestigious image of the French national team and the demands of a top-tier selection, the working conditions of some employees are now raising serious questions. And this new break could well reveal the Federation's ability to restore order within its own organization.