PARIS, Oct 2 (Bernama-dpa) -- France coach Zinedine Zidane returns to the site of his most famous football achievement on Friday and could not be happier, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
He will lead his team out at the Stade de France in the Nations League clash with Italy a proud man.
Asked what his best moment was at France's national stadium, the coach told a news conference on Thursday: "I'm not going to be too original, I think it's what we did with the guys in '98. It was a dream to win the World Cup, especially against Brazil. We made it happen."
Now he is back as coach having opened his tenure with two 1-0 away wins last month against Turkiye and Belgium.
"It's incredibly emotional, even more so tomorrow with the fans. We're ready for this match. We've prepared well. We haven't had any particular problems, it's great," the former Real Madrid boss said.
The fact his first home game in charge of Les Bleus is against Italy, the team he played in his final match before retirement in the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin was lost on no one. His headbutt on Marco Materazzi and subsequent red card was his most infamous football legacy.
"The images always remind me of it since they're constantly replayed everywhere. Luckily, I haven't only done that. There are other positive memories too," Zidane said.
"I have no regrets; it's part of my career. I'm not proud of what happened, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You can't only do good things, but there were good things as well."
Italy are rebuilding under Roberto Mancini after missing the World Cup for a third straight time, but Zidane says it will not be an easy game.
"My players are ready for a third match against a good team. Anything can happen in a single match. We'll be playing against a tough side," he said.
-- BERNAMA-dpa