Manu Koné, the France national team player, emphasized the difficulty of facing Italy in the UEFA Nations League.
The Italian national team will visit France on Friday evening as part of the third matchday of the group stage in the UEFA Nations League.
Koné said at a press conference: "The Italian national team is in a rebuilding phase and going through a complex era, but we will focus only on ourselves. We know that we are the French national team and have wonderful players, and we also aim to achieve victory in our coach's first match at home."
He added, "I tried to implement what Zidane asked of me on the pitch. For me, a midfielder must be able to play well in any position."
The Roma player continued, "It is wonderful to train under Zidane; he is a global legend. He coached us in a personal and firm manner, is very close to the players, and talks with us constantly, whether individually or collectively."
He concluded his statements, "Zidane gave us the confidence to play freely, and it is enjoyable that we can play naturally. On a personal level, he is extremely honest. He spoke with us individually and told me that I should play in the way I am used to."
Zinedine Zidane took over coaching the French national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps who left after the end of the 2026 World Cup.
The French national team defeated Belgium by one goal to nil thanks to Olise's goal following an excellent individual effort in the final seconds of the match.
Olise scored the goal in the 88th minute after an individual effort, then struck a low shot that settled into the net of Sam Lammens, the Belgian goalkeeper.
With this win, the French national team's points total rose to six, topping the group standings.
Meanwhile, Belgium's points total remained at three, placing them third.
France had previously defeated Turkey by one goal to nil in the first matchday, and Belgium also won against Italy by two goals to nil.
France is scheduled to play against Italy in the third matchday.
