It was enough to revive the sea serpent. Asked by RMC on Wednesday June 8 about the rumor sending Zinedine Zidane to Paris Saint-Germain, Emmanuel Macron said he would like to see the ex-Real Madrid coach “come back” in Ligue 1 for “the influence of France”.
“I haven’t spoken to Zinédine Zidane, but I have immense admiration for him, the player, the coach”declared the President of the Republic on the sidelines of a trip to Clichy-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) on the theme of sport among young people.
“We really want to have a coach of this talent in the French championship, who has been able to bring back three major cups., said Emmanuel Macron, yet a Marseille supporter, referring to the Champions Leagues won by Zidane on the Madrid bench. His last season spent in France dates back to 1995-1996. He then played in the UEFA Cup final with the Girondins de Bordeaux.
By the way, the Head of State returned to his exchanges with Kylian Mbappé. The Parisian striker said he appreciated the “good advice” of the president when extending his contract. “I was able to speak with Kylian Mbappé, but he made his choice in conscience, and he showed it, he is very mature”, said Emmanuel Macron.
Questioned by RMC, the President of the Republic also pleaded for “to drive out incivility in sport”claiming that there was no “no place for violence outside the stadium and in the stadium”. A lively controversy surrounds the management of the Champions League final at the Stade de France, tinged with incidents around the enclosure, while many other excesses in the stands have punctuated the Ligue 1 season. He called for “train supporters, change mentalities” and to perform “educational work”with “school, sports clubs, federations”.
Sport for everyone, everywhere, that is our goal. The commitment I made in October 2021 is materializing: more than 400 fields and sports halls are already being installed! We will go all the way, because it is also through sport that we will put an end to inequalities. https://t.co/Wlz9EVZ6w8
—Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 8, 2022
The latter took advantage of this trip to Clichy-sous-Bois, four days before the first round of the legislative elections, to announce several measures on the importance of sport for young people. “As of the next school year, we will have half an hour of sports in all primary classes” every day, said Emmanuel Macron, confirming a promise made during the presidential campaign.
The Head of State also announced that the Pass’Sport would be extended to 760,000 scholarship students. This measure has was announced in May 2021 to support the resumption of licenses in sports clubs after the health crisis in order to encourage sports practice, which is lower among students.
The President of the Republic inaugurated a solidarity dojo in Clichy-sous-Bois, allowing young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods to practice judo for free. This dojo subscribes in the “5,000 Land Plan”, which provides for the development of 5,000 local sports facilities, on the horizon of the 2024 Olympic Games, for 200 million euros.