Zidane's first big tactical call! Mbappé faces a surprise role change for France
Zinedine Zidane has not even coached his first match for France yet, but he is already making waves with his decisions. His plan for Kylian Mbappé could change everything about how Les Bleus attack.
Details: According to The Touchline, citing RMC Sport, Zidane has personally told Mbappé that he would prefer to see him play on the left wing again rather than as a centre-forward. The coach reportedly called his captain directly to discuss the idea.
The positional debate around Mbappé has raged for years. At Monaco and in his first seasons at PSG, the forward was devastating from the left flank, cutting inside onto his stronger right foot, while under Didier Deschamps and at Real Madrid he has mostly operated through the middle as a pure number nine. Zidane, who knows Mbappé's game inside out from their shared Madrid connection, apparently believes the left wing is where the captain is at his most unstoppable. The move would also open the central striker role for one of the new faces in Zidane's first squad, with Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Rennes sensation Estéban Lepaul all competing for minutes in attack. France face Türkiye and Belgium in the Nations League this week, so we will not have to wait long to see whether Zidane's vision becomes reality on the pitch. One thing is certain: the new coach is not afraid to put his stamp on the team from day one, having already left out N'Golo Kanté and introduced strict new dressing room rules.
It's worth noting that Mbappé scored many of his most iconic goals from the left wing, including his breakout performances at the 2018 World Cup, where he became the first teenager since Pelé to score in a World Cup final.
Reminder: A new era is here! Zidane names his first France squad with bold surprises
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
