Matthieu Udol opens up about disappointment at missing out on France call-up

“I had a lot of anger inside me,” Matthieu Udol said, describing how hard it was to miss out on a France call-up from Zinédine Zidane. At 30, the defender thought the door to the national team was about to open. Pre-selected for the September and October camps, he was not included in the final squad for the matches against Turkey (0-1), Belgium (0-1, 4-1) and Italy (1-1).

Udol, who has impressed with Lens since last season, admitted he was disappointed to miss out on the manager’s first selection. The news came late: “It happened three hours beforehand. I had the possibility of being selected; emotionally, it wasn’t an easy day.”

The hope of being called up, followed by disappointment, also gave him an added impetus. “It gave me extra motivation, and I let it all out with my goal,” he said. He described a reaction fuelled by frustration, but said he wanted to use it to keep working. His aim now is to persuade Zidane to give him a chance in a future selection.

Udol believes his status has changed with the Champions League. A place in the France team has become an objective, but he says he feels no pressure. “If it happens, it’ll be great. If not, it won’t be a regret, just a shame,” he said. At 30, he knows opportunities could become harder to seize as time goes on. His versatility, he added, could work in his favour: he can play as a wing-back, on the left of a back four or on the left side of central defence.

The defender is therefore keeping his hopes alive while recognising the strength of the competition. France are due to play their final two Nations League matches in November: in Italy on the 12th at 8:45 p.m., then against Turkey on the 15th at 8:45 p.m. in Bordeaux. Udol would like to be involved this time. At the last World Cup, Zidane opted for an unconventional choice in a position short of options, selecting Adrien Truffert and Andy Diouf rather than Lucas Digne or Théo Hernandez.