{
  "id": 9635829,
  "title": "Zidane admits emotion on eve of first game as France coach",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/zidane-admits-emotion-on-eve-of-first-game-as-france-coach-9635829",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T21:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/09/25/zidane-admits-emotion-on-eve-of-first-game-as-france-coach"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Zinedine Zidane, the French football legend, has admitted to feeling immense emotion as he prepares to take charge of the national team in their UEFA Nations League match against Turkey. The 54-year-old, who won the World Cup in 1998, was appointed as France's coach in July following Didier Deschamps' departure after 14 years. Zidane acknowledged that his role as a coach is to focus on the players and help them achieve victories. Captain Kylian Mbappe has returned to normal training after battling illness earlier in the week. Zidane's arrival has sparked anticipation among French football fans, but midfielder Adrien Rabiot believes that while the spotlight on Zidane could benefit the players, it is essential for him to stay out of the limelight to allow the team to focus on their performance.",
  "summary": "Zinedine Zidane, a star of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning team, was appointed in July to succeed former colleague Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after 14 years in charge.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Zidane feels immense emotion before first match in charge of France",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/zidane-feels-immense-emotion-before-first-match-in-charge-of-france",
        "published": "2026-09-24T16:55:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Zidane says taking charge of his first France game feels ‘even more’ special than his playing debut",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/zidane-says-taking-charge-of-his-first-france-game-feels-even-more",
        "published": "2026-09-24T17:00:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zidane admits emotion on eve of first game as France coach",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/zidane-admits-emotion-on-eve-of-first-game-as-france-coach",
        "published": "2026-09-24T21:31:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}