Zinedine Zidane unveiled his first list of 23 players on Friday evening for his first gathering as head coach of the Blues. Among the new names is Estéban Lepaul, striker for Stade Rennais, called up for the first time to the France national team.
The list also includes Lucas Da Cunha (Como) and Pierre Kalulu (Juventus). The Blues will face Turkey on September 25, Belgium on September 28 and October 5, and then Italy on October 2, as part of the Nations League.
The Estéban Lepaul story
In a video published on Stade Rennais' social media channels, Lepaul gave a reaction marked by emotion. He recounted calling his godfather right after the announcement: 'he told me you've bored us to death singing the Marseillaise all day long, ever since you were little, now you're going to sing it for real'. The striker explained that as a child he would sing the anthem as soon as he woke up, without knowing why this detail had stuck with him so much.
He also expressed a broader attachment to his country: 'I love France, I think our culture is too good, I just love France for its history'. Regarding the call-up itself, he spoke of a 'dream' and 'craziness': 'it's the continuation of a lot of work, a lot of achievements. There's nothing more beautiful than wearing the jersey of your national team, of your country'.
This first list from Zidane confirms above all one thing: beyond the names and the tactical schemes, a call-up remains experienced by players as a moment that goes beyond sport. Lepaul put it plainly: 'it's beyond everything'.
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