The French Football Federation (FFF) has received a €10,000 fine from UEFA following a kit violation during France’s Nations League clash against Belgium on September 28.
According to L’Équipe, the incident involved adhesive tape on the players’ socks, which did not match the required colour. The problem delayed France’s arrival on the pitch and pushed back the scheduled 8:45 p.m. kickoff by several minutes as the players corrected their equipment.
The fine adds to a series of organisational mishaps during Zinédine Zidane’s first international gathering as France head coach. Three days earlier, before the match against Turkey, Zidane missed the beginning of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, because staff had not properly briefed him on the pre-match protocol. Furthermore, a forgotten pennant forced members of the French delegation to rush back to the dressing room.
These incidents prompted the French coaching staff to hold a debriefing meeting on October 6 to review the problems and improve their organisation. While UEFA’s financial sanction concerns the sock violation against Belgium, the other mishaps have also highlighted the need for better preparation within the French national team setup.
