This is undoubtedly the biggest surprise of this second Zinedine Zidane list. This Friday, the coach of the France team revealed the 23 players selected for the last two matches of the group stage of the Nations League, against Italy (November 12) and Turkey (November 15). An important gathering for the Tricolores, who can validate their qualification for the quarter-finals of the competition. If the returns of Aurélien Tchouameni, Malo Gusto or even Marcus Thuram were expected or almost, one name particularly caught the attention: Pablo Pagis. At 23, the Paris FC player will discover the France group for the first time, taking advantage of the last minute withdrawal of the injured Maghnès Akliouche. A historic call-up since the Parisian club had not placed a player with the Blues since 1973, with Louis Floch and Jean-Paul Rostagni.
And yet, it is difficult to imagine such a scenario just a few months ago. Trained at Stade Rennais, passed through Lorient and loaned to Nîmes, Pablo Pagis had to be patient to find a place in professional football. Having passed through the National 2, then through Ligue 2, the son of Mickaël Pagis gradually climbed the ranks before truly exploding into the elite. Last season, under the Lorient colors, the attacking midfielder had already impressed with 10 goals and 5 assists in Ligue 1. Performances which allowed him to reach a new milestone this summer by joining Paris FC and the ambitious project of the Arnault family. And the least we can say is that the change of environment was a perfect success for him. With already 2 goals and an assist in nine games this season, Pagis has established himself as one of the great architects of the Ile-de-France club’s excellent start to the season. Technically comfortable, capable of dictating the tempo and making his partners play, the attacking midfielder has become the true conductor of the Parisian team.
Zinedine Zidane wants to discover the profile of Pablo Pagis
Services which obviously did not go unnoticed by Zinedine Zidane. Asked about this unexpected call-up at a press conference, the French coach explained the reasons for his choice. “ He was selected because we had a little problem with Akliouche. He was injured this weekend and simply won’t be able to be with us. Pablo, meanwhile, was included in the expanded list. He’s an interesting player, with a different profile, who I wanted to observe. It’s an excellent opportunity to be able to evaluate it during this gathering. » A great reward for the 23-year-old player, whose technical profile and ability to play between the lines seem to have particularly appealed to the former Real Madrid coach. Because if Akliouche’s package opened the doors of Clairefontaine to him, Pagis was already in the coach’s little papers.
Image generation in progress
It now remains to be seen what place he will be able to find within a particularly well-stocked offensive sector, including Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Marcus Thuram and whether he will then survive the return of injuries from the regulars. But Zidane does not intend to rush with his new discovery. “ Today, the list is like this. The idea is not to only call old people, nor do I have in mind to only call new people. I want to see profiles, I want to have a choice. For Pagis, it was the right opportunity. I want to see him evolve with us. I don’t know yet how it’s going to happen, but it’s there. We have two matches on the program; as for his playing time, we will see when the time comes. » In a few months, Pablo Pagis has experienced a meteoric rise from Ligue 2 to that of a potential French international. It now remains to convince ZZ on the ground.
