Zinedine Zidane has given Newcastle United’s two French youth internationals a clear target to chase. The new senior head coach addressed the France Under-21 squad this week, a group that includes Aladji Bamba and Ewen Jaouen, and told them exactly what stands between them and a first senior call-up.
It is the first time either Newcastle prospect has heard directly from Zidane since he replaced Didier Deschamps as France manager earlier in the summer, following the World Cup. The Zinedine Zidane Newcastle France story will matter to supporters on Tyneside, given how closely it touches the club’s academy pipeline.
A video of the speech was posted on the France national team’s official X account, giving fans a rare look inside the senior coach’s message to the next generation of French talent.
Inside Zidane’s address to France Under-21 squad
Zidane did not hold back on what he expects from the Under-21 group. He described the senior team using a phrase that has already caught attention in France, calling it “the castle.”
Zidane said:
“What I just want to tell you is to enjoy what you’re doing, especially with the French national team, because as you know, the castle isn’t far away, and in fact, it’s your next step,”
He followed that message by urging the squad to treat their current level as a stepping stone rather than a finishing point.
“You have to work to get as close to the castle as possible. You have to enjoy the French U21 team; it’s a big deal, you’re not far off, and I’ll be following you anyway.”
Zidane also reflected on his own new role, having taken charge of the senior side for the first time this summer.
“It’s also new for me to coach the French national team. The French national team is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and being here feels like a culmination.”
He closed with a direct challenge that applies to every player in the squad, Bamba and Jaouen included.
“But at the same time, I went out and earned it, and for you, as players, it’s the same. The goal is the castle.”
Analyzing Bamba and Jaouen’s pathway to the senior fold
For Newcastle, the significance is straightforward. Bamba and Jaouen are established members of the France Under-21 group, and Zidane’s message puts a senior cap firmly within their sights rather than treating it as a distant ambition.
The Zinedine Zidane Newcastle France pathway now looks clearer than it has for either player. Zidane is not simply the man in charge of the senior team. He is also the figure actively watching their progress at Under-21 level, as his own words made plain.
That kind of direct line of sight from a senior head coach is rare for young players still developing their club careers. It gives Bamba and Jaouen a tangible marker to aim for whenever they report for international duty, and a reason to see their Newcastle form as part of a bigger picture.
Neither player has yet featured for the senior France side, and no squad announcement regarding a senior call-up has been made. What is clear is that Zidane’s door is open, and that both Newcastle players now know exactly what is being asked of them.
Domestic focus returns for Jaissle ahead of Coventry trip
Attention now shifts back to Newcastle, where Matthias Jaissle is preparing his squad for the return of domestic action. The Magpies travel to the CBS Arena to face Coventry City on Monday, October 12.
Jaissle will hope his squad arrives back from international duty in good shape, building on recent form that included our report on the Hull victory. The head coach has also had cup football to plan around, with the Carabao Cup trip to Everton still fresh in the squad’s recent schedule.
For Bamba and Jaouen, the challenge now is to carry the standard set by Zidane back into their club football. Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures offer the next chance to show why France’s senior coach is already watching, with further detail on his comments available in the Chronicle Live report.
