Zinedine Zidane, the new head coach of the France national football team, spent Sunday, 13 September at the Madrid Grand Prix, taking in a Formula 1 race before announcing his first squad list on 18 September.
Zidane's pre-list has stirred debate among France followers for several days, with names such as Pablo Pagis, Esteban Lepaul and Matthieu Udol drawing particular attention ahead of his first press conference as head coach, one of the most closely watched in the role.
At the Madring circuit, Zidane watched Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli take victory in the Madrid Grand Prix.
Zidane, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1998 and is regarded as one of the greatest players in French football history, has been an ambassador for the Alpine Formula 1 team since 2023. He regularly visits the paddock, where he has met French drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, as well as 21-year-old rising talent Isack Hadjar.
Zidane describes himself as an F1 fan
Alongside his passion for football, Zidane is also a keen follower of Formula 1. He said he was happy to see a race in Madrid and had been looking forward to seeing the new circuit, which he described as highly technical. He added that for an F1 fan, the circuit was excellent and that it was great to be in the city.
Zidane will now leave Madrid, a city he has described as close to his heart, to join the France squad at Clairefontaine next week.
Four Nations League matches ahead
For his first assignment as France head coach, Zidane will face an unusually packed schedule of four UEFA Nations League matches: against Turkey on 25 September, Belgium on 28 September, Italy on 2 October, and Belgium again on 5 October.
