Zinedine Zidane’s debut as France coach was overshadowed by an injury to captain Kylian Mbappe in a 1-0 win away to Turkey on Friday, while Roberto Mancini’s first game back in charge of Italy ended in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium. Zidane, the France legend and member of the team that won the World Cup in 1998, was taking charge of Les Bleus for the first time since being appointed in late July as the successor to Didier Deschamps. Mbappe gave his side the lead nine minutes into the second half in the UEFA Nations League Group A1 clash at the Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, just over 100 kilometres outside Istanbul.
Zinedine Zidane’s debut as France coach was overshadowed by an injury to captain Kylian Mbappe in a 1-0 win away to Turkey on Friday, while Roberto Mancini’s first game back in charge of Italy ended in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium.
“It’s not great. Unfortunately I think he’s going to have to go home. Belgium, playing their first match since losing to eventual winners Spain in the World Cup quarter-finals, spoiled Mancini’s return to the Italian national team by beating their hosts at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Mika Godts of Paris Saint-Germain ran through to give Belgium a 20th-minute lead, and substitute Dodi Lukebakio fired in from outside the box to double their advantage after the break.
We don’t want to take any risks,” Zidane told broadcaster TF1, suggesting that France’s all-time record goal-scorer will play no part in the three Nations League matches still to come over the next 10 days. Elsewhere on Friday, Shea Charles of Fulham scored the winner deep in stoppage time as Northern Ireland won 1-0 away to Georgia in Group B2. Danylo Sikan’s goal gave Ukraine a 1-0 victory in Hungary in the same group, with the visitors holding on after having Oleksandr Nazarenko sent off late on. Robert Lewandowski captained Poland in their 0-0 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B4, while Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both scored as Sweden beat Romania 2-1 in Stockholm in the same section.
