Zinedine Zidane faces pressure as France expectations rise, says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger says Zinedine Zidane is under pressure as France manager because expectations around the national team are so high.

The former Arsenal manager, now FIFA’s chief of global football development, was speaking as a guest on Ligue 1+ during Paris FC’s match against Strasbourg on Saturday.

Wenger, who continues to follow the fortunes of his national side closely, believes France’s strong footballing foundations make success almost inevitable.

“Zidane is doing his job well and everyone is waiting for him,” Wenger said. “There is a strong base in France, which makes it difficult not to achieve good results.”

Zidane succeeded Didier Deschamps as France manager. Deschamps led the team to victory at the 2018 World Cup, a runners-up finish at the 2022 tournament and fourth place in 2026.

Wenger said the difference between reaching the World Cup semi-finals and going all the way to the final could depend on periods of form and fortune.

“But between reaching a World Cup semi-final and reaching the final, there are years when things go well and others when they do not,” he added.

The former Arsenal boss acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing Zidane, but said the new France manager had experience of operating under intense scrutiny.

“There are a lot of expectations around Zidane, so he is under pressure,” Wenger said. “But he is used to that. He experienced those conditions throughout his career.”

Wenger’s comments were reported by Foot Mercato after his appearance on the broadcaster’s coverage of the Paris FC and Strasbourg fixture.

He ended by offering his support to Zidane and expressing his hope that France would continue to succeed.

“In any case, we wish coach Zidane all the best, because we like seeing the France team win,” Wenger said.