{
  "id": 9681284,
  "title": "Zidane admits emotion on eve of first game as France coach",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/zidane-admits-emotion-on-eve-of-first-game-as-france-coach",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T02:51:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/09/1540717/zidane-admits-emotion-eve-first-game-france-coach"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "France icon Zinedine Zidane expressed intense emotion as he prepared to lead his nation for the first time in a UEFA Nations League match against Turkey. The 54-year-old, who led France to World Cup glory in 1998, admitted his emotion surpassed his feelings during his playing debut. Zidane, appointed coach in July to replace Didier Deschamps, acknowledged the attention surrounding him. However, he emphasized the importance of his players and vowed to support them in achieving victories. Zidane also confirmed that captain Kylian Mbappe had returned to full training, after battling illness earlier in the week. With France set to face Belgium and then Italy and Belgium at Stade de France, midfielder Adrien Rabiot noted that Zidane's influence could positively impact the team. Despite his desire to stay out of the spotlight, Rabiot understood the expectations placed on Zidane, believing his experience could benefit the players.",
  "summary": "IZMIT: France legend Zinedine Zidane on Thursday admitted to feeling “immense emotion” as he prepared to take charge of Les Bleus for the first time in their UEFA Nations League clash with Turkey.",
  "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."
}