Zinedine Zidane became the first Frenchman to lose to Italy both as a player and a manager after France were beaten 3-1 by the Azzurri at San Siro on Thursday.
Italy produced an impressive victory over the world’s third-ranked nation in their penultimate Nations League group-stage fixture, ending a long wait for a home win against Les Bleus.
The result was Italy’s first victory over France on home soil since 1962. They had also lost their previous three home meetings with France before reversing that record in Milan.
Pio Esposito scored twice for the hosts, with the young forward already being tipped to surpass Gigi Riva’s record number of goals for the Italy national team. Davide Frattesi added the other goal with an individual effort as Italy secured a memorable win.
The three points lifted Italy above France at the top of their Nations League group. They now need only a draw against Belgium on Sunday to reach the Nations League quarter-finals.
France, meanwhile, will attempt to respond when they face Turkey on Sunday evening. They had failed to collect a single point from any of their five Nations League group-stage matches by Thursday night.
The defeat also left Zidane with an unwanted personal distinction. As noted by Cronache di Spogliatoio, he is now the first Frenchman to suffer defeat by Italy both in a playing career and as a coach.
Zidane’s final appearance for France came in the 2006 World Cup final, when Italy won the tournament. The match is also remembered for Zidane’s red card after he headbutted Italy defender Marco Materazzi.
Italy’s victory in Milan therefore added another chapter to the rivalry between the two nations, while leaving France facing Turkey with their hopes of recovering from a difficult Nations League campaign.
Peter Young is a Senior Reporter with Football Italia.
