Italy-France: Zidane's 'good memories' as he returns to San Siro, where he often shone with Juventus

Zidane returns to San Siro for Italy-France Nations League match on Thursday, revisiting the stadium where he shone for Juventus between 1996 and 2001.

France manager Zinédine Zidane will return to San Siro on Thursday for the Nations League fixture against Italy, a stadium that holds significant memories from his five seasons with Juventus. Between 1996 and 2001, Zidane played nine times at the Milan stadium, facing both AC Milan and Inter in Serie A competition.

Zidane's performances at San Siro were often decisive. In his second appearance there in April 1997, he scored in Juventus's historic 6-1 victory over AC Milan—still the worst home defeat in the Rossoneri's Serie A history. He also featured prominently in the intense derbies between Juventus and Inter, matches described by former Inter goalkeeper Sébastien Frey as "big matches in the temple of football."

Former Inter midfielder Benoît Cauet recalled that despite the psychological pressure the San Siro crowd tried to apply to Juventus's best players, Zidane always performed at his best.

While Zidane has returned to San Siro as Real Madrid manager—notably for the 2016 Champions League final victory—his most enduring memories are as a player. The stadium itself is set for major changes, with a new "Generali Stadium" scheduled to open by 2031.