Manu Koné, the midfielder for Roma and the France national team, shared his thoughts ahead of the upcoming UEFA Nations League clash against Italy. The match is set to take place on Friday at the Stade de France.
“I know this is a crucial game for Italy because they see us as a very strong team with many quality players,” Koné explained. “Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante often tell me during training that this will be a very important match and that they have work to do.
They are recovering and going through a tough phase, but we will focus on ourselves. We know who we are — France — and we have incredible players. We also really want to win in the coach’s first match at the Stade de France.
It’s great to train under Zinedine Zidane, a world-class legend. He leads us very personally and sincerely. He is very close to the players and always communicates with us on the touchline or during group sessions.
He instills confidence in us, allowing us to play freely. It’s enjoyable and feels natural. On a personal level, he’s very genuine; he spoke to each of us individually and told me to play the way I’m used to.”
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