Zinedine Zidane jumps to defense of Malo Gusto after Chelsea star's 'nightmare' display for France
Zinedine Zidane has shielded Malo Gusto from heavy criticism following a difficult display in France's defeat to Italy. The Chelsea defender conceded a penalty in Milan, but his international manager refused to single him out during a frustrating Nations League setback.
Zidane suffers first defeat as France manager
Zidane has backed Chelsea defender Gusto following a difficult night during France’s 3-1 defeat to Italy on Thursday. The loss in Milan marked Zidane's first defeat since succeeding Didier Deschamps as national team manager in July.
France started brightly when Michael Olise gave them an early lead. However, the visitors collapsed as a double from Pio Esposito and a strike from Davide Frattesi secured a dominant win for Italy.
Gusto started at right-back but endured a torrid evening against Nicolo Cambiaghi. The full-back ultimately gave away the foul that led to Italy’s second-half penalty.
Pundit tears into struggling Chelsea defender
The French media quickly turned on Gusto, labelling his performance a "nightmare" on the international stage. The 23-year-old has started just three Premier League matches for Chelsea this season, raising questions about his selection.
RMC Sport host Daniel Riolo led the fierce criticism after the final whistle. He questioned Zidane's tactical setup and blasted the defender's lack of domestic match fitness.
"Malo Gusto, who never plays for his club, I don’t even know what he’s doing there," Riolo stated. "He was toyed with by Bologna’s winger... I don’t understand why Zaire-Emery isn’t playing. We don’t have any full-backs, so you play with the wingers tucked in."
Manager refuses to blame individual errors
Despite the intense media scrutiny, Zidane refused to throw his young defender under the bus. The legendary Frenchman insisted that collective failings were to blame for the heavy loss. Addressing the penalty incident, Zidane played down the severity of Gusto's defensive error. He urged his team to focus on the overall tactical analysis rather than individual mistakes.
"He was called up, he played his part, he conceded the penalty, these things happen," Zidane explained. "I don’t think we can say that he had a bad game. So there you have it, now I’m doing the analysis as a whole anyway, I’m not talking about individuals."
France look to bounce back against Turkey
The disappointing result in Milan leaves France sitting second in their Nations League Group A standings. Italy currently lead the group following their impressive comeback victory.
Zidane must now quickly rally his squad ahead of their final group stage fixture. France will face Turkey on Sunday night as they look to end this international break on a high note.
