The coach of France outlined an analysis before the European Championship which sees his national team among the favourites, as well as talking about some of his players who play in Serie A
“Having won a World Cup in Russia and reaching the final in Qatar puts us at the top of the hierarchy, but this also applies to the other seven European national teams in the top ten places in the FIFA rankings who have the same ambition as us“. These are the words of Didier Deschamps, interviewed by the Gazzetta dello Sport, to outline an overview of France’s moment, one of the favorites to win the European Championship which will begin in 11 days in Germany.
The former Juventus midfielder also talks about Luciano Spalletti’s Italy: “He won the European Championship with the strength of the collective. Maybe in the past there were at least a couple of champions, but you have excellent players and some interesting young players. Despite the two missed qualifiers for the World Cup, Italy remains very competitive“.
On the market
Asked about some of his players coming from the Italian championship, the transalpine coach had his say on Adrien Rabiot, whose contract with the Old Lady is expiring: “I know he’s fine in Turin where he remained last year without the Champions League, but he could play next season. We talk about it sometimes, it’s up to him to decide, he is free and has a lot of choice“.
As for Theo Hernandez, whose Premier League sirens could push him away from Milan, Deschamps said: “We talked about it in March. In general there isn’t the same enthusiasm as in the Scudetto season, but it seemed to me that he was happy at Milan where he was also captain, as a foreigner. However, organizing a tour of Australia in the midst of the national team’s retreat is not very pleasant“.
When asked about the form of Kylian Mbappé, who should soon make his move to Real Madrid official, the French coach appeared calm: “He’s used to the pressure and I can see it well. He went through a delicate period with the club, but he scored 44 goals. On the pitch he will have maximum freedom. My goal is to field a team that allows him to express himself at his best. As captain, Mbappé is totally dedicated to the team while being able to make the difference on his own like all the champions.”
In attack alongside him, there will be two players who have scored a lot this year in Italy, Marcus Thuram and Olivier Giroud, who could pass the baton in the national team. Deschamps himself underlines this: “Marcus had a good season with Inter, improving his effectiveness, in harmony with Lautaro Martinez. Marcus can play throughout the offense. He doesn’t have the same characteristics as Olivier, but he can be his heir. And even if it is the last European Championship for Giroud, it is important to count on his experience“.
Finally, a comment on two unpleasant situations. The first concerns Paul Pogba, still suspended due to his doping disqualification: “I’m sorry. We talk often. She went through a difficult period. I would have taken him to the World Cup if he hadn’t got injured. Knowing him, I can’t believe he did doping voluntarily. However, there is one positivity, we await the appeal from the Tas. I wish him to return to the pitch, he has the mental strength to do so“.
Finally, a thought on the situation relating to Mike Maignan, victim of racist insults months ago in Udine: “That episode hurt him, it wasn’t the first time. The mental factor can have repercussions on a physical level, but it must be said that the previous season he was extraordinary, so potentially there is no need to worry, even if he has been less well in the last period due to some small injuries“.
