Red Star seek to protect Elyaz Zidane after intriguing arrival | OneFootball

Elyaz Zidane has joined Red Star this summer and the club are working to keep the 20-year-old out of the spotlight.

According to L'Équipe, the fourth son of Zinédine Zidane, the new France head coach, has been deliberately kept low profile since arriving. Red Star did little business after finishing fourth last season, then lost 2-3 to Rodez in the first play-off.

The biggest change came on the bench, with Damien Perrinelle, 42, arriving from Monaco to replace Grégory Poirier.

A youth international since October 2021, he won the U17 Euros in 2022, was a U19 Euro finalist in 2024, and has captained multiple age groups. He spent more than 10 years at Real Madrid before joining Betis Seville in January 2024, without a first-team outing.

Formerly a left-back, he shifted to centre-back after a growth spurt, stands 1.94 m, and was a defensive pillar for Bernard Diomède’s France U20s last season. Diomède said in October that he has the qualities for the top level but needs minutes.

Whether he kicks on at Red Star will become clear in the coming months. He would be the second of his siblings to play in Ligue 2 after Enzo’s 16-match stint at Rodez in 2021-2022.

Perrinelle mentioned his two recruits, including goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch, but offered little on Zidane as staff kept external talk to a minimum. Training at Marville in Saint-Denis has remained discreet, and the defender will wear number 15 with Elyaz on his shirt after completing pre-season.

Source: L'Équipe

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