Zinedine Zidane says he is “not proud” of headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, but insists he has “no regrets” as France prepare to face Italy again.
The Nations League match takes place at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday, with kick-off at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).
The fixture will be France’s first on home soil since Zidane replaced Didier Deschamps as coach. Les Bleus began their Nations League campaign with 1-0 victories away to Turkiye and Belgium.
Italy, meanwhile, lost 2-0 at home to Belgium before responding with a 4-1 win in Bursa, which moved them back into contention in Group A.
“It is very emotional being back here, and it will be even more so tomorrow when the stands are packed with fans,” Zidane said at his pre-match news conference.
“Fear doesn’t exist, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I’ve never thought about failure in my career; on the contrary, I see only opportunities.
“I have an incredible team, I’m ready to make the dream come true, and I’m going to give it my all.”
France will be without Kylian Mbappe after the forward withdrew from the squad because of a knee injury. Zidane believes the team’s strength was demonstrated by the changes he made for the victory over Belgium.
“There is no A Team and B Team, only a squad of 23 players,” he said. “It is up to me to make those choices in every match.”
The meeting with Italy has inevitably revived memories of Zidane’s final appearance for France. He was sent off in extra time of the 2006 World Cup final after headbutting Materazzi in the chest.
“The images are being replayed everywhere on a loop, I’ve seen them,” said the former Juventus player.
“I haven’t spoken to Materazzi since that day. I’m not proud of what I did, I’ve always said that, but at the same time I have no regrets. It is part of my career.
“Fortunately, that is not all that I did in my career. There are positive and enjoyable moments, and I prefer to remember those. You can’t just have a career of all great moments.”
France have also been affected by controversy away from the pitch after L’Equipe reported that the team’s long-serving security chief, Momo Sanhadji, had asked about 15 players for money during his 20-year tenure, with requests of up to €120,000.
Sanhadji was removed from the Clairefontaine camp before the match.
“I’m not happy, because I know him very well,” Zidane said. “Other people are handling the situation and I can’t talk about it, but I can only wish him well and will hold on to the positive experiences he had here.”
