Doué dazzles France, Jobard likens him to Michael Jordan
While France is playing without Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé or Michael Olise, the young Parisian winger Désiré Doué was in the starting lineup in Brussels on Monday evening in the Nations League and gave the Red Devils a performance that recalled Michael Jordan, according to Stéphane Jobard.
Without Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé or Michael Olise at kickoff, the young Désiré Doué took on the role of leader of the French attack against Belgium. Lined up alongside his former teammate Bradley Barcola and Esteban Lepaul, he led the Blues to a 0‑1 victory.
Praise from Stéphane Jobard
Stéphane Jobard, deputy to Rudi Garcia at the helm of the Red Devils during the last World Cup, described Doué's performance as “magic”. “Every time I see him play, I feel like I’m watching Michael Jordan,” he said, adding that he expects “a magic trick every time he touches the ball.”
Impact on the match
Doué was a constant threat, hitting the crossbar in the twelfth minute after a series of dribbles, then brushing past the goal in the fifty‑first and fifty‑eighth minutes. Overall, the French collective, led by Zinédine Zidane, impressed despite nine changes from the 1‑0 win over Turkey and three newcomers to the squad. Jobard also highlighted the “ZZ poker move” from the kickoff.
France dominate Belgium thanks to Da Cunha, Lacroix and Doué
France will meet Belgium again next Monday at the Stade de France at 8:45 PM for the fourth and final match of the international break. In the meantime, Zinédine Zidane will experience his first home match as manager against Italy this Friday at the same time, still at the Stade de France.
For Jobard, the collective performance exceeded expectations, especially given the lack of shared experience among the players. He admitted being “bluffed by the collective dimension of this team” and “truly surprised by the French performance at that level.”
French press praises the Blues' domination in Brussels
Thus, while Belgium relies on the experience of its Belgian staff, France is betting on the freshness of a young winger who, according to Jobard, could become the future Michael Jordan of football.