France’s Defensive Crisis Deepens as Upamecano Leaves Zidane’s Camp
France’s week in Milan was already bruising. Then came the news that Dayot Upamecano had packed his bags.
Just hours after Les Bleus fell to a sobering Nations League defeat against Italy, the Bayern Munich centre-back was granted permission to leave the national team camp and return to Germany for personal reasons. The decision, confirmed by the French Football Federation, followed a direct conversation between Upamecano and head coach Zinedine Zidane on Friday.
For a new manager trying to steady a giant, it is a brutal early setback.
A painful night in Milan
The loss to Italy cut deep. Not simply because it was Zidane’s first defeat since taking over from Didier Deschamps after the World Cup, but because of what it represented: Italy’s first home win over France in 64 years. History, and not the kind Zidane wanted to be attached to.
Upamecano had featured in Thursday’s game in Milan, part of a back line that never looked entirely at ease against a sharp Italian attack led by Inter striker Pio Esposito. The forward struck twice, punishing every lapse and propelling the Azzurri to the top of Group A1.
France, by contrast, looked stretched and uncertain. The tactical reshaping under Zidane is still in its infancy, but the lack of defensive cohesion was glaring. Too many gaps, too many late reactions, too many players out of rhythm.
Now one of the few established centre-backs in the squad has gone home.
Zidane’s back line in tatters
Upamecano’s departure is not an isolated problem; it is the latest piece to fall from an already crumbling defensive puzzle.
Zidane arrived into this international window knowing he would be without William Saliba, Jules Kounde, and Maxence Lacroix. Three defenders who would all be in contention to start, all unavailable before a ball was kicked. The absences did not stop there. The squad also lacks Manu Kone in midfield and the attacking thrust of Ousmane Dembele and Esteban Lepaul.
What began as a challenging first camp has turned into a full-blown selection headache.
The French back line, stripped of its usual anchors, looked thin on paper and even more fragile on the pitch. Italy sensed it and attacked with conviction. Esposito’s brace was the headline, but the story behind it was France’s inability to control space or tempo for long enough spells.
For Zidane, renowned as a player and coach for bringing calm to chaos, this is a different kind of test. He is not just reshaping a style; he is firefighting a personnel crisis.
Italy rise, France chase
While France count their losses, Italy surge.
The win in Milan did more than end a six-decade wait for a home victory over Les Bleus. It reasserted the Azzurri as a force in this Nations League campaign, their renewed confidence embodied by Esposito’s ruthless finishing and a disciplined defensive display.
That result has lifted Italy to the summit of Group A1. It has also left France chasing, suddenly short of both points and players.
The contrast is stark: one side riding a wave of momentum, the other scrambling to plug holes and rediscover its identity under a new coach.
Mbappé on the horizon, Turkey up next
There is, at least, one ray of light on Zidane’s horizon.
Kylian Mbappé is expected to be in contention to return to the starting XI for Sunday’s clash with Turkey, a match that now feels far bigger than a routine group fixture. With the defence ravaged by injuries and Upamecano gone, the burden shifts heavily onto France’s attacking stars.
They may have to outscore their problems.
Victory against Turkey is no longer just desirable; it is close to non-negotiable if France want to keep pace with Italy at the top of the group and avoid turning this Nations League campaign into an early autopsy on the Zidane era.
How Zidane reshuffles his depleted pack will reveal plenty about his instincts as a national-team manager. Does he double down on youth at the back? Does he tweak his system to protect a makeshift defence? Or does he simply unleash his forwards and dare opponents to live with the chaos?
The answers will start to emerge on Sunday. The questions around France’s defensive future, though, are only getting louder.
