Zidane Laughs Off Late Arrival for France Anthem After Winning Debut

Zinedine Zidane got his time in charge of France off to a winning start, guiding Les Bleus to a 1-0 win over Turkey at the Izmit Stadium on Friday night, though not before a small hiccup before kickoff.

Zidane and his coaching staff arrived a few seconds late for the French national anthem, with La Marseillaise already playing by the time they reached the touchline. It was his first anthem as France head coach, but the delay didn't distract his players, who quickly settled into the match.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Zidane laughed off the moment. "The protocol was faster than expected," he said, as quoted by MadeinFoot. "I had a slight delay in ignition. I would have preferred to arrive at the beginning."

The win itself wasn't easy. France had to deal with a poor playing surface throughout the match, which made it difficult for them to build their play smoothly. Despite the conditions, Zidane's side dug in and got the job done to secure a positive result on the road in his first game in charge.

Zidane won't have long to wait before his next test, with France travelling to face Belgium on Monday. Having picked up a win in his opening match, he'll be hoping to build on that as he looks for another positive result away from home.