The Zidane era has begun in the France team and, for the moment, Matthieu Udol (30 years old) is not invited to the party. The full-back position is very far from experiencing opulence among the Blues, but the new national coach is banking on Adrien Truffert (24 years old) and Andy Diouf (23 years old), whom he has repositioned on the left. In his list, Zinédine Zidane has above all chosen to rejuvenate his group enormously with only two thirty-year-olds to report: Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot, both 31 years old.
Aged 30, Udol therefore seems to be leaving with a slight handicap. A situation that is not necessarily easy to live with for the RC Lens defender. Revealed in the blood-and-gold jersey last season (7 assists), the former Messin was still playing in Ligue 2 barely two years ago, but he has taken to the game since his rise to power in Artois. Cited among the best elements of the French championship last season, Udol has often seen the media mention his name with a view to the 2026 World Cup. Media hype which has changed the situation in his head.
Udol wants to discover the Blues
The Lensois was not on the trip to the United States, but today, he is feeling the blow when he is not one of the players called up for selection. As proof, his disappointment when he discovered that he was not on the ZZ list last month, a few hours before the defeat in L1 against Monaco (1-2). “I had a lot of rage inside me, but I was simply disappointed. There’s an upcoming break soon, we have a series of very high-level matches between now and then, it’s up to me to perform well to knock on the door again.”he confided to The Team to explain his angry attitude after his goal scored against ASM.
And if Udol still believes in it, it’s because he believes he is in a very different context. After achieving the status of vice-champion of France and winning a Coupe de France, the full-back is now playing in the Champions League with the RCL (which hosts Sporting Portugal tomorrow). And above all, Udol has clearly seen that the Blues are seriously lacking a specialist in his position. “At the start of last season, it wasn’t in my head at all. But individual and collective performances made it a possibility. Today, with the Champions League, my status has evolved further. There is also an opportunity compared to the competition to find a place in this team. It has become a goal, but I have no pressure because I am also aware of where I come from. If it happens, it will be great. Otherwise it won’t be a regret, just a shame because I wouldn’t have been far”he confided. To the wise…
