The medical staff of the France national team made an unusual change ahead of their first gathering under Zinedine Zidane, parting ways with podiatrist Marc Retali and appointing Serge Isidoro in his place.
Retali’s name initially appeared in the first iteration of Zidane’s backroom staff, published by the French Football Federation (FFF) in mid-August. However, his name was notably omitted from the final official squad list finalized this week.
The decision was not driven by professional disagreement or medical diagnosis. Instead, it was triggered by a media interview Retali gave shortly after his appointment, where he discussed his career, expressed his excitement, and shared his surprise at joining the Les Bleus setup. He also publicly announced his appointment across his personal social media accounts before standard administrative protocols and official communication channels were finalized by the FFF.
This unauthorized appearance sparked outrage from Hervé Collado, the newly appointed head of the national team’s medical department, as the interview lacked prior approval from the federation or team management. A source close to the staff informed L’Équipe that “the duty of confidentiality was not respected”—a phrase that effectively encapsulated the swift termination of his tenure before it truly began.
The technical staff moved quickly to appoint Serge Isidoro, who previously worked with athletes at Portuguese club Benfica and the Nanterre basketball team, to oversee the podiatry department.
Retali’s brief journey with Les Bleus came to an abrupt end before Zizou’s very first camp—an incident that highlights the strict media discipline demanded by the new leadership, even for behind-the-scenes medical roles.
