VIRAGE - A French Football Dispatch

Independent journalism from across French football founded by @georgeboxall22, @rafajuc and @LukeEntwistle

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

📍Stade de France

Leny Yoro and Guillaume Restes earn their first senior caps here tonight, with Zidane rotating the XI for the final match of the international break against Belgium

Estéban Lepaul leads the line, with Dembélé and Barcola on the wings

[VIRAGE - A French Football Dispatch @VirageFootball]

Zinédine Zidane will be hoping to secure a first home win as France manager tonight against Belgium, having been held to a draw by Italy on Friday.

Reporting from the Stade de France, @rafajuc took a look at the talking points from his homecoming:

https://t.co/GNuIgLJL9q

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

📍France v Italy

Les Bleus back at the Stade de France after 18 months away, and Zidane returns here 20 years after his last home match as a player

Da Cunha and Jacquet keep their spots in the XI; tonight’s captain Dembélé leads the line

Dispatch to come on @VirageFootball

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

Zinédine Zidane leads France training at the Stade de France for the first time

Tomorrow’s game against Italy here will be his first home match as head coach of Les Bleus - 20 years on from facing the Azzurri in the World Cup final

[VIRAGE - A French Football Dispatch @VirageFootball]

Zinédine Zidane takes charge of France for the first time against Turkey tonight.

Has he looked to build on Didier Deschamps’ work, or go for a clean break?

For our second dispatch from Paris, @rafajuc went to Zidane’s squad announcement to find out:

https://t.co/yxElNhfyWt

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

Here’s my latest dispatch from Paris for @VirageFootball, after covering Zinédine Zidane’s first squad announcement!

France’s new head coach says he wants continuity from the Deschamps era, but his first few decisions signal a change of direction:
https://t.co/iOCinYBrXD

[George Boxall @georgeboxall22]

All set up at the Vélodrome for this Classique clash between Marseille and PSG. Tonight we are trying something brand new!

Catch @VirageFootball live on Substack as I chat with @rafajuc at half-time and full-time from the press stand. Link below. ⬇️

https://t.co/kjnQas2lxp

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

At the FFF HQ, where Zinédine Zidane is due to announce his first squad as France manager in just over 30 mins

Jacquet and Lepaul and among the potential new faces

Tomorrow’s @VirageFootball dispatch will feature a breakdown of the squad and the ensuing presser

[Luke Entwistle @LukeEntwistle]

🔥 Underfire Paris Brunner ignites Ligue 1.

✍️ Some pre-match reading ahead of #ASMRCL for @VirageFootball.

https://t.co/kPS3amHVUN

[George Boxall @georgeboxall22]

VIRAGE is on the radio! Our journalists will be joining @Sanny_Rudra on @wearetrackradio every Friday 12:30 for some French football chat.

I kicked things off today before Le Classique! We have some exciting coverage to come this weekend at the Vélodrome. @VirageFootball

[VIRAGE - A French Football Dispatch @VirageFootball]

"PSG’s midweek thrashing of Slovan Bratislava brought an end to a four-match winless streak, but Luis Enrique still has answers to find as his team lag eight points off the Ligue 1 leaders."

Our first Paris dispatch from @rafajuc. 📝

https://t.co/gaNwVcYBcq

[VIRAGE - A French Football Dispatch @VirageFootball]

"PSG’s midweek thrashing of Slovan Bratislava brought an end to a four-match winless streak, but Luis Enrique still has answers to find as his team lag eight points off the Ligue 1 leaders."

Our first Paris dispatch from @rafajuc. 📝

https://t.co/gaNwVcYBcq

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

✍️ My first dispatch from Paris for @VirageFootball, with some thoughts from covering last two PSG matches, is now up!

PSG are, at time of writing, 8 points off the Ligue 1 leaders. Are they sleepwalking into an early-season crisis?
https://t.co/HKsr4HIF1M

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

My article from the French FA headquarters in Paris, where the president Philippe Diallo spoke to the press after formally disavowing Gianni Infantino:
https://t.co/7FYVrVCFYN

[Raphaël Jucobin @rafajuc]

PSG going with a Dembélé-Torres-Akliouche frontline as they begin their Champions League title defence here against Slovan Bratislava

Reaction and analysis from tonight’s match will be the subject of the first @VirageFootball dispatch from Paris, coming out tomorrow!

[Jonathan Johnson @Jon_LeGossip]

Really pleased to see 3 guys I have followed & supported for years doing something new together 👀 They are some of the best voices covering French football in English & genuinely passionate about it 🫶🏼 Looking forward to seeing what they do with @VirageFootball 🇫🇷⚽️

[Johnny Cantor 🎙 @johnnycantor_]

Big 🙏 to @LukeEntwistle for insight into another Conf Lge opponent for #bhafc discussing Ansu Fati 👇
🗣️’his goals per minute ratio is quite insane’ ..more 👇

[Luke Entwistle @LukeEntwistle]

Yesterday, @georgeboxall22, @rafajuc, and I launched @VirageFootball.

🇫🇷 As a team, we are dotted across France and every week we’ll bring you dispatches from the matches we attend.

📍My first piece comes from the Allianz Riviera 👇

https://t.co/gBzuYYIPYP…

[Matt Spiro @mattspiro]

Strongly recommend signing up to this! Great writers, top lads, passionate about the game and present at the stadiums in France – a project worth getting behind 👍 👍

[VIRAGE - A French Football Dispatch @VirageFootball]

"Three games does not constitute a changing of the guard in French football, but there was something strikingly symbolic about Paris FC’s statement 3-2 win over Marseille on Sunday evening."

Our first Marseille dispatch from @georgeboxall22. ⬇️

https://t.co/YdPsB0nESZ