Newly appointed France coach Zinédine Zidane said he hopes jailed French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes can return home, thrusting a politically sensitive Algeria-related case into the spotlight. “We hope he can return,” Zidane said, after Gleizes’ family publicly appealed to figures from the football world, including the former France captain, to support the journalist’s case. The case was raised during a FIFA World Cup-related press conference, reflecting growing concern within football circles over the journalist’s detention and prosecution. Gleizes, 36, was arrested in May 2024 after travelling to Algeria to report on football, including a story on the historic JS Kabylie club. “Christophe Gleizes is imprisoned simply for doing his job as a journalist,” RSF has said, calling for his immediate release and describing the prosecution as a serious attack on press freedom.