Zidane Reacts to 'Olicie's Attack'
Zidane praised Olicie's decisive attack, while Mancini regained victories with Italy against Turkey.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Brussels – AFP – France coach Zinedine Zidane praised the “extraordinary attack” by Michael Olise, who started from the halfway line and scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over host Belgium in Brussels during the second match of Group 1 in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League.
Overjoyed by the performance of the Bayern Munich player, who scored the only goal with a swift run from the center of the pitch before finishing with a curling shot from the edge of the box (88th minute), the new France coach reacted to the move by running along the touchline before kicking a ball placed in front of him.
Zidane said with a broad smile: “I followed Michael’s run and felt he was going to dribble past his marker. He executed an extraordinary attack. Then I saw the ball in front of me and couldn’t resist shooting. It’s ridiculous.”
The coach, who made nine changes to the starting lineup that had beaten Turkey 1-0 on Friday in the first round, also praised the “group that lives in harmony and works well together.”
In the same group, Italy’s new-again coach Roberto Mancini emphasized focusing on the upcoming match against France next Friday in the third round.
Mancini returned to winning ways in his second match in his second stint as head coach of the Italian national team, defeating host Turkey 4-1 in Bursa.
Mancini had been met with boos in Rome on Friday when Italy lost their home opener to Belgium 2-0, but his side delivered a striking performance under heavy rain during the first half in Turkey.
Speaking to Italian television after the final whistle, he said: “All players delivered excellent performances. It was a difficult match, and we handled it correctly, through high pressing and playing with intensity throughout the game.”
Italy dominated and sealed the result in the first half with a brace from Alessandro Bastoni and Davide Frattesi, along with newcomer Michael Kayode, before Francesco Pio Esposito added a fourth goal after the break, while Baris Yilmaz scored for Turkey.
Importantly, the Azzurri returned to the path of victory under Mancini for the first time since their 3-2 win over the Netherlands on June 18, 2023, ending a wait of 1,198 days.
He added: “We know we didn’t start this journey well, and it may be a long or short journey—I don’t know.”
