Zidane opens his heart before the Belgium clash: I feel frustrated

Zizou announces a revolution of changes

Zinedine Zidane needed little time to stamp his authority on the France national team, winning his first two matches away from home before stumbling to a draw against Italy. Yet he admitted that the end of his first international period in charge of Les Bleus carried a special feeling, having spent more than two weeks with his players.

Zidane took the reins after the World Cup, launching a new era that quickly won the admiration of players and fans alike. The early results were promising, even if the attacking performance never quite reached the expected level.

Two hard-fought 1-0 wins over Turkey and Belgium set the tone, before France drew 1-1 with Italy on Friday evening at the Stade de France, the team's first setback under their new coach.

Zidane said, during the press conference ahead of the clash with Belgium: "The demands are the same, but the difference is that working with the national team is different from a club. I used to enjoy the daily work, and now I am taking on a different role, but my desire to work in harmony with my team has not changed."

He insisted his new project needs time, even as the hunger for wins never leaves him. "We always want to win, we are competitors," he added. "The most important thing is to prepare well for the matches and to feel comfortable on the pitch. I am very satisfied with the mentality I have seen so far."

"I have clear convictions, I love the France national team, and I have top-class players, but I know it will take time," the France manager continued. "I am very happy with what I have seen."

There was no hiding his regret as the international break drew to a close. "It has been wonderful to spend 15 days with the players, and I feel some frustration that this period is ending," he said. "We still have one final effort before we leave the camp happy."

Several changes look set to follow against Belgium, with Zidane keen to give as many of his players as possible a run-out across the four scheduled matches in this period.

Asked about the possibility of making wide-ranging changes, Zidane replied: "Yes, there will be changes, as we have done before. We have four matches, so we will make adjustments during these matches, and perhaps some additional changes."

"We played on Friday, and now we are on the eve of the match, so we must not do anything just to win," he explained. "We will do our utmost, but with all 23 of our players. There will be some additional changes, yes."

Belgium arrive hungry for revenge after their 1-0 defeat in the previous meeting, a match they went into on a high following their big win over Turkey.

Victory would hand Zidane his first at the Stade de France since taking charge of Les Bleus. It would also let him close out his first international period and keep building his new project with steadiness and confidence.