分类： sports

In a widely anticipated appointment that has dominated French football headlines for months, the French Football Federation (FFF) officially announced Tuesday that legendary former French midfielder Zinedine Zidane will take the reins as the new head coach of the men’s national team, signing a four-year contract that extends through the 2030 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

The 54-year-old coaching icon, who has been tipped as the favorite for the role ever since former manager Didier Deschamps stepped down earlier this month following France’s fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, has spent years patiently waiting for an opening to lead Les Bleus. Deschamps, who held the national team post since 2012, leaves behind a formidable legacy: he guided France to a World Cup title in 2018 and a runners-up finish at the 2022 tournament.

Speaking at his official unveiling in Paris Tuesday, Zidane opened up about the overwhelming emotion of landing the only role he ever wanted in management after stepping away from Real Madrid in 2021. “For me, it’s an immense joy… being able to become the coach of this French team. I don’t have any other words,” he said. “I’m holding myself back because I have so many emotions inside me. I’m ready for the challenge, that’s what drives me today.”

A decorated winner for France as a player, Zidane scored two iconic goals in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil to secure France’s first-ever world title, and later lifted the UEFA European Championship trophy with the national side in 2000. He was also a teammate of Deschamps during that 1998 World Cup triumph, and becomes the third former 1998 champion to manage the national team, following Deschamps and Laurent Blanc, who held the role from 2010 to 2012.

Notably, Zidane turned down every club coaching offer he received over the past four to five years to hold out for the France job. “The France job was the only one I wanted,” he confirmed, after meeting with fans outside FFF headquarters, signing autographs and posing for photos with waiting supporters. “I’ve had offers over these four or five years to take charge of a club and I turned them all down for the French national team.”

Zidane’s entire club coaching career to date has been spent at Real Madrid, where he cemented his place in Champions League history by leading the Spanish giants to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 — a historic achievement that has never been matched in the modern era of the competition. While he acknowledges that leading a national team is a far different challenge than club management, he said the new test does not faze him. “I think it’s a completely different job, that’s for sure. I’ve experienced the club side of it. Now this is something new for me, but it doesn’t scare me,” he explained.

Staying true to his own approach while building on the success of his predecessors is Zidane’s plan moving forward. “’DD’ (Deschamps) is ‘DD’, Blanc was Blanc and ‘Zizou’ is Zizou,” he said, referencing his well-known nickname. “I will do things the way I know how to do them.” His core priority remains clear: continuing France’s legacy as one of the world’s top international football sides. “I’m going to give everything so that this team keeps on winning. That’s it, the only thing that drives me is being able to work for this France team and making sure it keeps on winning.”

FFF President Philippe Diallo revealed that talks with Zidane first began back in February 2025, shortly after Deschamps initially announced he would step down following the 2026 World Cup. Diallo said one line from their first conversation ultimately sealed the deal for Zidane’s appointment. “There was one thing that struck me, that perhaps ultimately made the difference. During the conversations we had, he said to me, ‘President, I know how to win.’ When he said that, I saw someone who had both the desire and the self-belief needed to lead France. That is what it takes for our national team to remain successful in the years ahead.”

Zidane will make his debut on the France sidelines later this year, with his first match in charge an away UEFA Nations League fixture against Turkey on September 25. His first home game at the iconic Stade de France will follow a week later on October 2, when France hosts Italy.

With just six regular-season matches remaining before the 2024 NRL finals kick off, premiership favourites Penrith Panthers have delivered one of the most shocking selection moves of the year, dropping young five-eighth Blaize Talagi to NSW Cup just seven weeks out from the title decider.

The move comes after opposition teams have increasingly targeted Penrith’s left defensive edge, a strategy that paid major dividends for the Parramatta Eels in their match against the Panthers last round. Talagi, who missed seven tackles in the Eels clash, became the casualty of ongoing defensive struggles on that side of the field, with Cleary choosing veteran Jack Cogger to step into the starting role to partner playmaker Nathan Cleary for this weekend’s match against the Canberra Raiders.

Speaking after last week’s loss to the Eels, Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary acknowledged the left edge has become a persistent problem for his squad, even as the club retains its status as the best defensive outfit in the NRL. “If they’ve been targeted for two years, we still remain the best defensive team. There were definitely some worries tonight, but on the balance, they can do better than that,” Cleary told reporters. While the call to drop a young player so close to the finals is a high-stakes gamble for the premiership hopefuls, it also gives Cleary enough time to test whether the reshuffled starting 13 is the combination that can carry the club to another premiership title.

In other selection news across the league, Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall has made the surprising call to reinstate star halfback Adam Doueihi straight back into the starting side just one week after the playmaker was dropped from the squad amid internal club unrest. Despite growing calls from fans and pundits to send Doueihi to reserve grade, the halfback will partner former Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai in the halves for the upcoming round, with rookie Javon Andrews named on the reserves. His return is a much-needed boost for a Tigers side that has suffered a dramatic form slump in recent months, with young forward Heamasi Makasini also returning to the starting line-up in the centres.

The Sydney Roosters have been hit with a double injury blow, with winger Billy Smith joining star outside back Daniel Tupou on the injury sidelines. The club has named Tommy Talau to step into the starting side, forming an all-new left edge combination for the upcoming round.

For the Dolphins, young playmaker Isaiya Katoa has been named on the extended bench as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury, though the club has confirmed there is no guarantee he will make an early return to the field this weekend.

There is major positive injury news for the Newcastle Knights, with star fullback Kalyn Ponga named to return this week just after the club confirmed playmaker Dylan Brown will miss the remainder of the season. Ponga’s return comes at a critical time for the Knights, who are also without back Dylan Brown for the rest of the campaign. The club has named a new halves combination of Fletcher Sharpe and Sandon Smith for their road trip to Brisbane, with Deine Mariner shifting into the centres to replace the injured Gehamat Shibasaki.

South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Brandon Moore has been named to start at hooker despite managing ongoing calf issues, while young forward Tallis Duncan is in line for an earlier-than-expected return from injury in Sunday’s clash against the Cronulla Sharks. The New Zealand Warriors have brought Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad into the starting side to replace the injured Taine Tuaupiki, who is sidelined with a foot injury, while the Gold Coast Titans have welcomed back playmaker AJ Brimson and forward Kurtis Morrin from injury layoffs.

Melbourne Storm have named young utility Trent Toelau to replace injured captain and hooker Harry Grant at dummy-half this round, with rookie Hayden Watson set to make his NRL debut after being named on the bench. Young centre Jack Howarth will miss the clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, with Manaia Waitere recalled to the starting side in his place.

For nearly two decades, the Melbourne Storm have been a constant presence in the NRL finals, not missing a post-season berth since 2008. But that 16-year unbroken run is on the brink of collapse, as the club grapples with the most devastating injury crisis veteran head coach Craig Bellamy has ever faced during his decades-long tenure at the club.

Storm enforcer Stefano Utoikamanu, who has emerged as one of the team’s standout performers in recent weeks despite the squad’s struggles, has openly acknowledged the odds are stacked against his side – but remains defiant that a miracle run to the finals is still on the cards.

Last week’s gut-wrenching narrow loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs left Melbourne six points adrift of the top eight on the NRL ladder, with just six rounds remaining in the regular season, including one bye. To even have a shot at sneaking into the finals, the Storm are required to win all five of their remaining fixtures, which would see them finish the regular season on 32 points. Even that clean sweep may not be enough, however, as the club will also need other results around the competition to go their way to claim a spot in the top eight.

The road ahead is far from easy, too. This week, Melbourne faces the ninth-placed Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in a critical clash that will set the tone for their final stretch. Later in the season, they are also scheduled to take on ladder leaders the Penrith Panthers, as well as a red-hot Cronulla Sharks side – with the Sharks clash doubling as a 10-year anniversary commemorating the pair’s iconic 2016 grand final showdown.

The biggest obstacle to the Storm’s finals push is the unprecedented injury toll that has ripped through the club’s starting lineup. Key playmaker Cameron Munster is currently sidelined with a knee injury, while captain and hooker Harry Grant is also out of action with a hamstring strain. Four more established first-team stars – Eli Katoa, Xavier Coates, Will Warbrick and Tui Kamikamica – have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with long-term injuries.

Against all odds, Utoikamanu says the squad has maintained the veteran club’s famous “next man up” mentality, embracing the unexpected opportunity that has opened up for young emerging players to step into first-grade roles. “There are a lot of new boys, but there are also a lot of new opportunities for boys to push for the team this year and next year. I’m pretty excited to go into this game and try to get a win,” the forward said.

The club’s overall record this season could have been far kinder, Utoikamanu pointed out: four of the Storm’s losses this year have come by four points or fewer, meaning fine margins have been all that has stood between Bellamy’s side and a much higher ladder position. “Our whole season has been pretty crazy with the boys that have gone down,” Utoikamanu said after his best performance of the season against South Sydney last week. “We’ve just got to move on. (We have a) next-man-up mentality and we just focus on who we have here and how we can get the win.

“It is tough for everyone, but I think it’s probably tougher for the boys who are actually out. This year probably hasn’t gone as expected. We’ve lost a fair couple of games when we had that seven-game losing streak. But in saying that, there were a lot of games with not much in it where we lost by a couple of points, so that’s a positive in itself. There are a lot of good teams coming through, and a lot of the good teams we’ve played, we haven’t lost by much. We can take a lot of confidence out of a lot of games.”

Bellamy has emphasized the same message to his makeshift squad all season, Utoikamanu added, encouraging every player to lean into their individual strengths to contribute to the team, rather than trying to replace the absent stars. With everything on the line over the coming weeks, the Storm will look to pull off one of the most unlikely finals qualifications in recent NRL history.

A major blow has hit Australian Football League side Collingwood Magpies, with star defender Brayden Maynard set to miss a minimum of four weeks of game time following urgent surgery on his left leg — a timeline that leaves his participation in the upcoming September finals series hanging heavily in the balance. Collingwood head coach Craig McRae confirmed the injury update to reporters on Tuesday morning, adding that more granular details about the 29-year-old’s condition and recovery would be released by the club’s official medical department later the same day.

Maynard picked up the unusual injury during the Magpies’ commanding 34-point victory over Adelaide on Thursday night. McRae described the injury as a rare cross-type issue that affects both the hamstring and the knee, saying the entire club was clinging to cautious optimism that Maynard would recover in time to contribute to the team’s finals campaign. “We’re hoping he’d be fit for the team’s September campaign,” McRae told media. The recovery timeline already rules Maynard out of the Magpies’ upcoming clash against Geelong Cats, scheduled for this Thursday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Maynard is not the only Collingwood starter facing an uncertain availability for the Geelong match: star midfielder Jordan De Goey is also listed as doubtful after falling ill, McRae confirmed. This will mark the Magpies’ second consecutive Thursday night fixture, kicking off at 7:30 pm AEST at the MCG.

Despite the Geelong Cats entering the match shorthanded — missing star forward Jeremy Cameron and elite midfielder Max Holmes — McRae warned against underestimating the weakened Cats side, noting that proven top-tier clubs always adjust and find ways to generate scoring even when key players are sidelined. “There’s so many more threats,” he said. “Like good teams do, they just find ways to score.”

McRae also reflected on the two sides’ earlier encounter in round 9, where the Cats dominated Collingwood to secure a 54-point win. In that match, Collingwood’s game plan focused heavily on limiting the impact of star Cats defender Tom Stewart, but McRae admitted that strategy failed to deliver results. “Not much worked then,” he said. “It’s going to be important how we kick the ball inside 50, and how we stop him from marking it, so that’s something we’re going to work towards.”

This injury update comes as a major setback for Collingwood’s 2024 premiership push, with Maynard serving as a core defensive leader for the side throughout the regular season.

Sydney Roosters are facing a sudden setback just weeks out from the NRL finals, with star veteran winger Daniel Tupou sidelined by a serious shoulder injury – but head coach Trent Robinson is drawing on a positive piece of club history to steady the side ahead of their critical Thursday clash with the North Queensland Cowboys.

Tupou sustained an anterior shoulder dislocation while making a tackle against the Newcastle Knights last weekend. Instead of undergoing invasive surgery, the 35-year-old club legend will follow a structured non-operative rehabilitation program, with a projected return to the field in five weeks – a timeline that would see him back in action just before the finals kick off. In his absence, 24-year-old Tommy Talau has emerged as the front-runner to step into Tupou’s left wing position for the Cowboys match, with fellow utility back Billy Smith also in contention for the spot. Should Smith be named on the wing, the Roosters plan to shift Hugo Savala into the left centre role to cover the gap.

Robinson says Tupou has taken the injury setback in stride, noting the winger’s famously even-keeled and optimistic approach to adversity. “He doesn’t express it too much, ‘Toops’, but he’s a positive guy, so he easily rolls with the punches,” Robinson told reporters. “He hasn’t had one of these for a while where it’s been this long. I remember he had a torn lat very similar to this 10, 12 years ago where he was out for a little bit, but he’ll be fresh and ready to go. It gives an opportunity for some other guys to jump in there and play.”

The scenario is not an unfamiliar one for the Roosters. Robinson recalled an almost identical situation in 2020, when Tupou went down with a syndesmosis injury against the Melbourne Storm, forcing a late call-up for replacement winger Matt Ikuvalu. In a fairytate turn, Ikuvalu went on to score five tries in the Roosters’ next match against the Cowboys in Townsville – a historic performance that still stands as one of the most memorable underdog stories in the club’s recent history. When asked if he was hoping for a repeat of that 2020 magic this week, Robinson smiled and said, “I’m OK with that.”

He went on to joke about the quirk of that 2020 game that saw experienced Super League try-scoring machine Ryan Hall shifted between wings to accommodate Ikuvalu, only for the youngster to claim all the tries. “Poor old Ryan Hall got moved (that night). He was on the right wing, and then we thought with the backfield carries we’d move Hally to the left wing and Matt Ikuvalu to the right, and then Matt scores five. Poor old Hally, he’s scored a thousand (tries) in Super League, didn’t get one here.”

Replacing a player of Tupou’s caliber is no small task, however. The 35-year-old winger, who is closing in on his 300th NRL game and has notched nearly 200 career tries, brings a unique combination of endurance, aerial dominance and big-game experience that cannot be easily replicated. Tupou is also off-contract at the end of the 2024 season, and the club has been working through a decision on his future. Robinson said the Roosters had initially planned to make a call on Tupou’s contract after four weeks, but that timeline has shifted slightly. “I’d say it’d be in the next two to three weeks we’ll know where Toops is at and where we’re at,” Robinson said. “Toops is an honest man, he’s quite clear about that and he’s not going to fake it. He’ll make a decision whether he’s ready to go or whether he’s not. I’m not sure whether that (the injury) will shift that, but we’ll know in the next few weeks.”

For now, the focus remains on preparing for the Cowboys clash, with the Roosters hoping that history can repeat itself for their new fill-in winger, just as it did four years ago.