Paris (France) (AFP) – Jérémy Jacquet, one of the neophytes called up by Zinédine Zidane for the four Nations League matches, takes advantage of every opportunity to show his immense talent and shake up a hierarchy that is nevertheless well established in the central defense of the France team.

Published on: 03/10/2026 - 16:36

Against Italy on Friday, the young defender, 21, for the first time under his new coach at home, confirmed during his second consecutive start the good performance he had delivered a few days earlier in Belgium.

In Brussels, Jacquet had suffocated Charles de Ketelaere, the attacker of the Red Devils for whom he was in charge. In Saint-Denis, it was Nicolo Fagioli, the Fiorentina midfielder, for whom he was responsible for marking, who paid the price for his power (1.88 m and almost 80 kilos).

As in Belgium, Jacquet did not only defend well at the Stade de France, even if the Blues conceded the first goal of the Zidane era. He pressed, very high, often at the central circle, and perfectly relaunched all the balls he touched, not missing any of his attempted passes against the Nazionale.

“Good, very good”

"How I found him, Zidane reflected after the draw against Italy. Very good, very, very good. Valiant, not afraid to go very far. Very good in duels. In short, he was once again... very good (...). I said it four times", he realized without anything else to say.

Zidane reserves his words for his player to whom he gives bold instructions, such as pressing as high as possible.

“He asks me to go hunting very high and not to look behind me,” explained the defender. “I follow the instructions,” like an old hand. "I have no pressure because I simply play football. Afterwards, I was very well received. I think that plays a role too", he tried to explain his ease, despite his inexperience.

Quickly, very quickly

Jacquet goes quickly. Very quickly. Trained in Rennes, like six other of his teammates in Blue, he cut his teeth at Clermont in the second division, established himself on his return to the Rennes defense, before being transferred in the off-season to Liverpool for almost 70 million euros - the biggest sale ever made by the Breton club. All in three years.

The young defender seizes every opportunity offered to him. His presence on September 18, in Zizou's first group, is largely due to the injury of William Saliba, one of the two captains of the French central defense with Dayot Upamecano.

His two consecutive starts, against Belgium and Italy, can be explained by the injury at the start of the training of the new Madrid player Ibrahima Konaté, whom he successfully replaced with the Reds by immediately establishing himself as a starter, alongside the experienced Virgil van Dijk.

France plays again on Monday in Saint-Denis for the return match against Belgium. It would have been logical that Jacquet, after having played 90 minutes twice, found a replacement role, leaving his elders, Maxence Lacroix and Dayot Upamencano, starters against Turkey, to reform the blue central hinge.

But the Bayern Munich defender, part of the France team, was sent off against Italy and was released to his club on Saturday morning. A new boon for Jacquet?

© 2026 AFP

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