France Loses to Italy, Zidane's First Defeat as Coach
Listen to the story
France suffered a defeat against Italy in a Nations League match, the first loss for the national team since Zinedine Zidane became coach. Zidane, a former star player for France, recently took charge of the national squad.
The game took place in Milan. During the match, French fans heard their national anthem, the Marseillaise, whistled by part of the crowd. This kind of reaction sometimes happens between rival teams at major sporting events.
Italy's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, was praised for his strong performance during the match. His play was seen as one of the key reasons Italy managed to beat France.
Despite the loss, France has not yet lost its chance to advance in the competition. The team's qualification for the quarter-finals of the Nations League will now depend on their next match against Turkey.
The Nations League is a European football competition that brings together national teams from across the continent. Teams compete in groups, with the top sides moving on to later stages such as the quarter-finals.
This defeat marks an early test for Zidane in his new role as national team coach. Although he enjoyed great success as a player, including winning major titles with France, this loss shows he will face challenges in his coaching career too.
Fans and pundits will now watch closely to see how the team responds in its upcoming match against Turkey, which will decide whether France progresses further in the tournament.
Vocabulary10 words
- Nations League
- a football competition between European national teams
- whistled
- made loud noises to show dislike
- rival
- a team or person competing strongly against another
- qualification
- earning a place in the next stage of a competition
- quarter-finals
- the stage with the last eight teams in a competition
- pundits
- people who give opinions about sports on TV or in news
- coach
- a person in charge of training a team
- squad
- all the players who are part of a team
- anthem
- a special song that represents a country
- defeat
- a loss in a game or competition
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. They lost for the first time under Zidane 2. It was whistled by part of the crowd 3. Win their next match against Turkey
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
France suffered a defeat against Italy in a _____ League match.
This was the first loss for the national team since Zinedine _____ became coach.
The game took place in _____.
French fans heard their national anthem _____ by part of the crowd.
Italy's goalkeeper, Gianluigi _____, was praised for his strong performance.
France's _____ for the quarter-finals will depend on their next match against Turkey.
The Nations League is a European football _____ for national teams.
This defeat marks an early test for Zidane in his new role as national team _____.
Fans and _____ will watch closely to see how the team responds.
Discussion questions
- Why do fans sometimes whistle during the national anthem of a rival team?
- Do you think losing early in a new coaching role is normal? Why or why not?
- How important is a goalkeeper's performance to a team's success?
- What do you think France needs to do differently in their next match?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
