France: "I can even watch a second division match", behind the scenes of Kumbedi's selection by Zidane

Zinédine Zidane called up 21-year-old right-back Saël Kumbedi from Wolfsburg's second division, revealing he scouts extensively across all levels to find talent.

Zinédine Zidane has included Saël Kumbedi in France's November squad for Nations League matches against Italy and Turkey, a surprise selection that underscores the new manager's meticulous approach to player recruitment. The 21-year-old right-back currently plays for Wolfsburg in Germany's second division but has impressed with the France U21s, providing an assist in a 7-1 qualifying win over Switzerland in October.

Zidane explained his scouting philosophy in an interview, stating: "A manager watches a lot of matches. Very, very many matches. I watch all my players, so that's a lot. And sometimes I watch them again. Because I need to see something else, in the details.

But it's normal. I can even watch a second division match, and in fact, that's what I do from time to time." The comment vindicated his decision to monitor Kumbedi despite the defender's lower-profile club.

Kumbedi, who trained alongside Dayot Upamecano on his first day at Clairefontaine, expressed his delight at the call-up. He revealed he received the news by phone while waiting for a taxi to head to a U21 training session. "It's a dream coming true now, but it's not the end goal," he said. "I have to keep working and stay level-headed."