One year after his 114th selection, Hugo Lloris finds the jersey of the France team to face Sweden on Saturday in Stockholm (8:45 p.m.).
Injured in the elbow then blocked by the pandemic, the captain of the Blues is happy to find the ground despite a heavy context marked by the sidelining of Steve Mandanda, tested positive for Covid-19.
How do you approach this first match after almost ten months of hiatus?
HUGO LLORIS.
It is above all a back-to-school match.
For most players, it's even the first game of the season.
We know the circumstances.
We adapt as a top athlete.
We are all happy to be back with the national team after a difficult period.
There are a lot of things at stake, we want to figure in this League of Nations.
Sweden is confident and remains on a very good World Cup.
We lost here in our last match in June 2017 with an individual error on my part (2-1).
But we had been able to bounce back to finish first in our group and win the World Cup.
You had missed the last four games due to injury, is it also a relief on a personal level?
I am happy to find the jersey of the Blues.
This has always been the common thread of my career.
Playing high level matches is enjoyable.
I come with ambition, the motivation to give my best to help the team.
There is also a collective ambition in this League of Nations.
It was a long wait between my injury and the pandemic.
It has been twelve years that I have been in the selection, the seasons and the games follow one another without having time to relax.
When we have a long injury we try to regenerate.
Especially on a mental level.
Now I am ready with great enthusiasm to fulfill the goals.
How did you learn and experience the announcement of Steve Mandanda's positive Covid-19 case?
There is always very good communication between the coach, the medical staff and the players.
He informed us of the situation at noon.
There is always a little worry but it is important to explain yourself.
We are disappointed for him, because he is an important part of the France group.
The most important thing is that he is in good health.
We all know the situation, every time, we have a sword of Damocles over our heads.
It can always change.
We must focus on us, respect barrier gestures to avoid contamination for us and our families.
It's hard to manage what the teammates are doing.
But we adapt and we prepare.
Is the protocol burdensome?
We adapt.
There are very specific rules.
This is the case in all clubs and nations engaged in competitions.
We don't have a say, we follow the direction.
We've been going through all of this for a little while.
The most important thing is that you feel safe.
Everything is made available to put us in the best conditions.
We want to have fun in training, but what motivates us is competition.
We try to forget the context a little and have fun while giving to the supporter.
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How do you experience the return of Adrien Rabiot, two years after his refusal to be a reservist?
Above all, that concerns Adrien, the selection and the coach.
As a teammate, the door is always open.
We are happy to find him with a smile.
Its objective is to settle in the long term.
He has been performing with Juventus.
At the time, this may have surprised us.
This is ancient history.
If he is there it is because the coach is counting on him.
And he is ready to take on new challenges with the Blues.
Eduardo Camavinga in training at Clairefontaine on August 31. / FFF / Simon Morcel
What impression has Eduardo Camavinga left on you since Monday?
He comes with humility but with ambition to meet the demands of the high level.
Eduardo remains a young player, but he fits in perfectly.
He has a very endearing personality.
At the table or on the bus, he waits for everyone to sit down to take an empty seat.
It shows his humility and respect for this team.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a three-way defense?
This system has been used by many teams in Europe in recent seasons.
We have all been made aware of this scheme.
It's a system that allows you to be very balanced when you master it.
Defensively, we are more solid and this also allows the team to perform well in the offensive transition phase.
With fast players on the sides.
You can also, when you have possession, enjoy the full width of the field.
