Van Bommel recalls clásico memories against Zidane ahead of France clash

Mark van Bommel, the head coach of Belgium, is preparing to face his French counterpart Zinedine Zidane in the second round of Group A in the UEFA Nations League, expressing his excitement for the encounter with the French coach whom he previously faced as a player in the El Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Van Bommel said at the pre-match press conference: "It is special to face someone like Zidane. He was an exceptional player, and I played against him once with Barcelona against Real Madrid. When one of your dribbling moves bears your name, it means you have done something truly special. He is also a good coach, and that is clear."

The match referred to by Van Bommel took place on April 1, 2006, at Camp Nou, ending in a 1-1 draw. Van Bommel had been on the bench during the previous encounter between the two teams at Santiago Bernabéu, which ended in a 3-0 victory for Barcelona in November 2005. The Dutchman played only one season with Barcelona, during the 2005-2006 season, but he won the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, and the Supercopa de España during that time.

Van Bommel began his tenure with Belgium with an away victory against Italy, winning 2-0, confirming his desire to maintain the attacking approach his team displayed in Rome. He said: "I started my job as coach of the national team by emphasizing strength and the desire to work. If the opponent outperforms you in one instance, it's no problem."

The Belgian coach addressed Kylian Mbappé's absence from the match, after the France captain suffered an injury during the 1-0 victory over Turkey in the first round, saying: "I think it's unfortunate that he is not here, because you always want to face the best players. I don't know exactly what his injury is, but I was hoping he would be here."

The match comes after a successful start for Zidane with the French national team, while Van Bommel is also experiencing special days on a family level, having recently witnessed the international debut of his son, Ruben van Bommel, with the Netherlands, where he assisted the equalizing goal against Germany for his teammate Cody Gakpo.

Regarding that moment, Van Bommel said: "As a father, seeing your son play his first match with the Netherlands is very special. We were watching the game on television with a large part of the coaching staff, and when he made that decisive pass, it was amazing. I wished I could be on the pitch. The next day we also won against Italy. It was a great two days."