France coach Zinedine Zidane praised substitute Michael Olise after he scored twice in France’s emphatic 4-1 victory over Belgium at the Stade de France in the fourth round of League A of the UEFA Nations League.
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“Olise, what he did was simply exceptional,” Zidane said at a post-match press conference.
The Bayern Munich player was one of France’s standout performers after coming off the bench in the 60th minute. He scored twice and provided an assist to turn the game around after France had fallen behind to a 35th-minute goal from Dodi Lukebakio.
Referring to his first international camp as France coach, in which the team recorded three wins from four matches, Zidane added: “This is encouraging, and I am very optimistic about the future. I am happy with the results. We have collected 10 points, but beyond the wins and points, what gives me the greatest satisfaction is the good work I have done with the players and the coaching staff. It was very important to have 15 high-quality days together. There are areas that need improvement, but that will come gradually. We can perform better, and we will perform better.”
The 54-year-old former midfield star said his only regret was “the lack of attacking efficiency in the final 25 to 30 meters, as was the case in the other three matches.”
“We need to put more pressure inside the penalty area and get more players into the box to be more effective. But once we equalized, the course of the match changed completely. It is a reward for everyone, and it brings these 15 days to a very positive conclusion,” he added.
Andy Diouf also praised his teammate Olise, saying: “He is a player capable of changing the course of matches.”
The Inter Milan midfielder, whom Zidane has redeployed at left-back, added: “I knew him before, from the French youth teams. He is a top-class player, and we saw that throughout the training camp. He is capable of changing the course of matches.”
Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, who made his senior France debut against Belgium and won an Olympic silver medal alongside Olise in Paris, expressed a similar view.
“He is an excellent player. He made the difference when he came on and put in a great performance. We are happy to have him with us,” the Toulouse goalkeeper said admiringly.
Lille defender Leny Yoro, who was promoted from France’s under-21 team to the senior side at the start of the camp to replace the injured Ibrahima Konaté, was among those who praised Olise most strongly. Olise has scored four goals in four matches, in addition to providing two assists.
“Honestly, what he brings to the team every time is impressive. I hope he continues like this. And honestly, with everything he brings to the team, I don’t think we’ll be complaining,” the Manchester United defender said.
AFP
