His first public speech was expected, almost two months after the elimination of the France team in the round of 16 of Euro football (3-3, 4 tab 5 against Switzerland, June 28 in Bucharest ). In an interview published by the sports daily The team, Friday August 20, the coach Didier Deschamps spoke about the circumstances of this failure.
“I don’t feel like looking for excuses. I know that I am the only one responsible. My function wants that “, assumes the coach of the France team. As a reminder, the Habs led 3 goals to 1 in the 80e minute of play, before conceding two Swiss goals in the final minutes, then losing on penalties. “This should not happen in view of the strength that was ours and the solidity that has always been our DNA. “
The coach admits that it took a little while to recover from this early elimination. “The hardest to digest, he said, it is knowing what we are capable of doing and seeing what we have done. And (…) to be 3-1 at 80e [minute] against Switzerland and see what happened. “
The former coach of Olympique de Marseille had then aligned a formation with three defenders, against four usually. A change dictated by the joint injuries of Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne. “It’s not a mistake, it’s a choice, estimates Didier Deschamps. I know very well what led me there. “
“I would have liked the deficit [défensif] is less important “
A basic element of the final victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the French defense was permeable. “I tried to improve the offensive animation, even if it meant having a little defensive deficit, but I would have liked this deficit to be less important. It was increased by some circumstances, such as the injury of the two left-backs and the physical impact of the three games of the first round, which led to greater fatigue ”, explains Didier Deschamps.
The coach was also asked about the individual performances of his players during the European Championship. Even if he did not score a single goal and missed the decisive shot on goal against Switzerland, Kylian Mbappé is spared by Didier Deschamps: “He had the determination and the right intentions. But it did not have the desired efficiency (…), even though he was involved on five of our seven goals. “
Other players, like Paul Pogba or Karim Benzema, are also defended by the coach. This is not quite the case with Olivier Giroud, relegated to the bench during the competition. “I was honest and transparent with Olivier. Since February, his club situation had more than deteriorated. (…) He had no playing time. “ Recently transferred to AC Milan, the striker had not started any club game at Chelsea since March 21, 2021.
If Didier Deschamps emphasizes that “It is not specific to Olivier”, the hypothesis of a dotted international future is part of ” [s]a reflection ”. The coach’s next choices will be closely scrutinized: he will announce, Thursday, August 26, his list of players for three qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup.
The France team will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday 1er September in Strasbourg, Ukraine on Saturday September 4 in Kiev, then Finland on Tuesday September 7 in Décines-Charpieu (Rhône).
