{
  "id": 9942856,
  "title": "Zidane, van Bommel lead France, Belgium to Nations League wins",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/zidane-van-bommel-lead-france-belgium-to-nations-league-wins-9942856",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-26T08:28:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/zidane-van-bommel-lead-france-belgium-to-nations-league-wins/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Zinédine Zidane and Mark van Bommel led France and Belgium respectively to victories in their first matches as coaches in the UEFA Nations League on Friday. France secured a narrow 1-0 win against Türkiye, with Kylian Mbappé scoring the decisive goal. Zidane expressed the team's emotions following the win, stating they prevented Türkiye from developing their game through aggressive pressing. He also urged his players to remain patient after a goalless first half, which helped tire out the Turkish defense.\n\nMark van Bommel made an impressive debut as Belgium's coach, leading the team to a 2-0 victory over Italy. Goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukébakio showcased the visitors' attacking prowess. Van Bommel praised his team's performance, noting they played good football in the first half and created numerous chances. Roberto Mancini, who was making his second coaching debut, acknowledged Belgium's superior play in the first half, but also recognized the better second-half display from his team.\n\nIn other matches, Jürgen Klopp's Germany drew 1-1 with the Netherlands, with Cody Gakpo scoring a late equalizer, denying Klopp a win in his debut. Xavi Hernández, who began his coaching career with Spain, praised his team's performance, claiming they deserved more given their dominant second-half play. Elsewhere, Portugal's new coach Jorge Jesus led his side to a 1-0 win over Wales, with João Félix scoring the only goal in the 22nd minute. Jesus was pleased with Portugal's attacking style and their ability to hold on to the lead defensively.",
  "summary": "Zinédine Zidane and Mark van Bommel made winning starts as France and Belgium coaches in the UEFA Nations League, while Klopp’s Germany drew with Xavi’s Ne Read More: https://punchng.com/zidane-van-bommel-lead-france-belgium-to-nations-league-wins/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "England v Spain: Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane face off in Nations League and battle for Ballon d'Or",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/england-v-spain-lamine-yamal-and-harry-kane-face-off-in-nations",
        "published": "2026-09-26T03:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Spain XI vs England – Predicted lineup and team news",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/spain-xi-vs-england-predicted-lineup-and-team-news",
        "published": "2026-09-26T04:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "UEFA Nations League: Results of all Friday’s fixtures",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/uefa-nations-league-results-of-all-fridays-fixtures",
        "published": "2026-09-26T06:00:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Zidane, van Bommel lead France, Belgium to Nations League wins",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/zidane-van-bommel-lead-france-belgium-to-nations-league-wins",
        "published": "2026-09-26T08:04:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}