Dayot Upamecano left the France training camp on Friday due to personal reasons and returned to Munich, leaving the national team short-handed ahead of a decisive Nations League fixture.
The French Football Federation announced the departure in a brief statement, noting that the Bayern Munich central defender departed with the manager’s approval. No further details regarding the background of his sudden exit were provided by the federation, and SPORT1 reported that additional information on the reasons behind the move remains undisclosed.
“Mit Zustimmung des Trainers hat Dayot Upamecano das Mannschaftsquartier verlassen und kehrt aus persönlichen Gründen nach München zurück,” the French Football Federation said in a statement.
National team manager Zinedine Zidane opted not to call up a replacement for the 27-year-old defender immediately. Upamecano had started in central defense on Thursday evening at the San Siro, where France suffered a 1-3 defeat against Italy.
The timing of Upamecano’s departure compounds defensive concerns for the Équipe Tricolore following their struggles in Milan. fussballdaten.de reported that Upamecano is the most experienced central defender in the current squad, leaving Zidane with only three remaining center-backs: Jérémy Jacquet, Ibrahima Konaté, and Leny Yoro. Jacquet partnered Upamecano in the starting lineup against Italy.
Reflecting on the team’s performance in Milan, Zidane offered a calm assessment to broadcasters. n-tv.de reported that the manager told TF1 that the setback was part of the ongoing learning curve for his squad.
“Es ist sogar besser, wenn solche Momente jetzt passieren,” Zidane said.
“Kein Grund zur Panik,” Zidane added, offering assurance to his players.
Zidane acknowledged that while his side showed positive flashes during the match, room for improvement remains clear.
“Heute war es kein schlechtes Spiel, aber da ist noch Luft nach oben,” Zidane said.
France must now prepare for their final group-stage fixture in the UEFA Nations League without their defensive anchor. Les Bleus host Turkey on Sunday at 20.45 local CET in Bordeaux, with a spot in the competition’s quarterfinals on the line.
Upamecano’s workload heading into the international break had been heavy at club level. Fussballdaten.de said that the defender has started all nine Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich this season, scoring three goals, and played the full 90 minutes in both a 2-0 Champions League win away against Atlético Madrid and a 2-1 league victory against Mainz immediately prior to joining the national team.
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