Zidane upbeat ahead of France home debut as Les Bleus face Italy in Nations League

Zinedine Zidane described his first home match as France head coach as "very emotional" while playing down any sense of fear as Les Bleus prepare to host Italy in the UEFA Nations League.

France enter the game on the back of two 1-0 wins in their group. Kylian Mbappé scored the winner in the opener against Turkiye. Michael Olise produced a late stunner to secure a 1-0 victory over Belgium. Zidane has highlighted the positive start and stressed his appetite for the challenge at the Stade de France.

What Zidane said about the occasion

Form and performance details

France's two wins so far give them a perfect start to the Nations League group. The match against Belgium produced a notable statistical highlight: France completed 92.8% of their passes in the opponent's half, which the report says is their highest pass-completion rate in that area during a match over the last 20 years.

Those figures suggest Zidane's side are controlling territory and maintaining possession high up the pitch. The victories—both by single-goal margins—also underline a fine balance between control and tight scorelines.

The Italy context and past meetings

Zidane addressed those 2006 images directly. He said he has seen the footage replayed and acknowledged he "hasn't spoken to Materazzi since that day." He added that he is "not proud of what I did," but that he has "no regrets" and that the incident is part of his career. He also said his career includes positive and enjoyable moments he prefers to remember.

What to watch in the match

• France's ability to maintain a high pass-completion rate in the opponent's half and turn possession into clear chances.
• League, where the away side won both matches 3-1.

The match at the Stade de France will be Zidane's first home fixture in charge and a direct test of whether France can continue their perfect start in the Nations League against a familiar European opponent.