*Zidane Opens Up on Difference Between Managing France and Real Madrid*
Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has spoken about the contrast between coaching a club and leading a national team, revealing his early experience after taking charge of France. “I had my first training session with France, I looked around and saw Mbappé, Dembélé and all these players I had been watching for years, and I thought, ‘Okay… this is going to be different,’” he said.
Zidane explained that at Real Madrid, he had the luxury of time to correct mistakes, noting that “if something wasn’t working, I could change it the next morning.” With France, however, that privilege does not exist, as he might spot a problem on Monday and be forced to solve it by Wednesday ahead of a match, sometimes with only three days to prepare for a perfect performance.
Reflecting on his time in club football, Zidane recalled the challenge of preparing for El Clásico battles against Barcelona, particularly when Luis Enrique was in charge. He described Enrique as a coach who forced opponents to think differently, capable of changing something mid-match to create new problems after a week of preparation.
“Before those games, I would tell my players, ‘Don’t think you are going to control everything. Barcelona will have moments. We will have moments. The important thing is knowing what to do when the game changes,’” Zidane said. He added that while he and Enrique were different coaches, both shared the desire to make their teams believe they could impose themselves in the biggest games.
Zidane admitted that building a team over months at club level is what he misses most, emphasizing the habits and relationships formed over time. “With a national team, you inherit the players for a few days and you have to create that connection immediately. And maybe that is the beauty of it. At a club, you have time. With a national team, you have to make every minute count,” he said.
