Zinedine Zidane, the technical director of the French national team, expressed his great admiration for the level shown by Michael Olise, after the player contributed to the Blues' 4-2 victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.
Zidane spoke about the significant transformation in the French national team's performance between the two halves of the match, emphasizing that the team was not bad in the first half, but lacked the required sharpness in the final third of the pitch, which was also evident in some previous matches.
The France coach said: "I am very happy with the players who came on as substitutes, because the reaction was not just from them, but from the entire team. We ended this gathering very positively, and it would have been a shame to end it without a win."
When Zidane was asked if Olise was the best player in the world, he simply smiled and said: "Olise? I have nothing to say, what he is doing is simply exceptional," in clear praise of the level shown by the French national team star.
Zidane also touched upon the presence of Aimé Jacquet, the former technical director of the French national team, during the match, expressing his great happiness at seeing him and saying: "Aimé represents kindness and care to me. I was very happy to see him, he is a wonderful person. I went to see him because I know he doesn't go out much, and it was really nice for him to be present."
Zidane expressed his satisfaction with his first gathering with the French national team, noting that the team collected 10 points during the past period, which he considers a very positive outcome.
He added: "I am happy because we collected 10 points, and that is very good. I am satisfied with the work we have done with the technical staff and the players. We spent 15 days at a very good level."
At the same time, the French technical director stressed that there are some aspects that need development, explaining that the team is required to increase the number of players inside the penalty area to raise the offensive effectiveness rate, confirming that this will develop gradually over time.
Regarding his best moments since taking charge of the French national team, Zidane revealed that the most prominent moment for him was when he met the players for the first time at the Clairefontaine center, explaining that taking charge of the national team was a dream he had harbored since choosing this profession.
He said: "My best memory was when I saw the players for the first time at Clairefontaine. I chose this profession and dreamed of it. Now I will be disappointed for a few days, then I will continue to work by following the players."
Zidane also praised the young defender Leny Yoro, who made his debut with the French national team, confirming that he showed a strong performance despite the great competition for the center-back position.
He explained: "There are many players in this position. When we lost Ibrahima Konaté due to injury, we immediately wanted to call up Leny. I am happy for him because he had a great match and played his role well, and I am also happy with all these young players in the French national team."
Zidane refused to reveal any details about the starting lineup he might rely on during the next international break, contenting himself with confirming his satisfaction with the four matches and the results achieved by the team during the current gathering.
Zidane also gave special praise to the young goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, confirming that he showed excellent levels throughout the camp, not just during his participation in the match, while also noting that the team's three goalkeepers performed well.
Zidane said: "He was excellent, not just in the match, but throughout the camp. Our three goalkeepers were excellent, and even Jean Butez was excellent in training. I made the decision to play Guillaume because he needs to know what it means to play with the French national team, not just in training, but also on the field and in matches, in case anything happens to Mike Maignan."