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World: the French team of tomorrow, with whom?

2022-12-19T11:35:00.355Z


Three months after the failure in the World Cup final, the Blues will already be ready for qualifying for Euro-2024 in March. The future of Didier Deschamps will be decided by then and the face of the team…


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Deschamps, stop or again?

The coach started the World Cup at the end of the contract, a first in competition, the fault of a disappointing Euro in 2021, completed in the round of 16.

By reaching the "last four", or the semi-finals, Deschamps met the expectations of the president of the Federation Noël Le Graët.

The two men will meet soon in Guingamp, the stronghold of Le Graët, to discuss an extension.

"I have already said it, I hope he will say yes. He has the cards in his hands", launched the leader Sunday with the newspaper Le Parisien.

At 54, ten of whom have been at the head of the Blues, Deschamps flourishes in this function, where his qualities as a leader of men work wonders.

However, he refused to discuss his future after the match.

"Even if the result were the opposite, I would not have given you the answer."

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Blurry future for 30-somethings

If Deschamps returns, will his trusted men all be there against the Netherlands and Ireland in March?

Its captain Hugo Lloris and its striker Olivier Giroud are approaching the end of their career, at 35 and 36 years old.

"I need like everyone else to take a step back, height on things. We will see in a few weeks", evacuated the goalkeeper with 145 selections, a record.

Jostled in the hierarchy by Mike Maignan (forfeited for the World Cup), the doorman is faced with a dilemma: to withdraw from himself, or risk losing his status as N.1 by the will of the coach.

With a Euro in a year and a half, Lloris can still aim for a few more selections, like Giroud, who has become the Blues' top scorer at the World Cup (53 goals).

"I don't set myself any limits" and "my determination to stay at the highest level and have fun is intact," he warned during the tournament.

Antoine Griezmann (31) and Raphaël Varane (29) still have a few pages to write in the history of the Blues.

For Steve Mandanda (37), it is far from certain.

The photo of the players and part of the staff of the French team before leaving for the World Cup in Qatar, November 15, 2022 in Clairefontaine south of Paris © BERTRAND GUAY / AFP / Archives

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With or without Benzema?

If Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kanté are expected in March, like other injured, the situation of Karim Benzema, package three days before the entry into the running, risks talking.

The Ballon d'Or did not show great enthusiasm on social networks to comment on the tournament of its partners, between messages of support and enigmatic "stories".

In Qatar, every question asked about the Madrilenian, 35 on Monday, annoyed Deschamps.

The conditions of the N.19 package, after a thigh injury, raise questions, especially since he resumed training during the World Cup.

Did he really choose himself to "leave his place", as he wrote on Instagram?

Deschamps did not finally replace him in the group, a new episode in the complex relationship that the two men have had since the sextape affair in 2015.

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The next generation is already there, his boss too

Kylian Mbappe after scoring his second goal in the final lost to Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar on December 18, 2022 in Losail Stadium north of Doha © ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP

Whether the "old" leave or not, come back or not, the young generation has already taken some power at the Qatari World Cup.

"There is somewhere a handover that has taken place with a generation that is entering its last phase and a new generation of players, led by Kylian (Mbappé) who has shown strong leadership in this tournament and even more. on this final", summed up Lloris.

In Mexico, Canada and the United States, host lands of the World Cup-2026, the Parisian striker will only be 27 years old, like defender Ibrahima Konaté and midfielder Youssouf Fofana.

Aurélien Tchouaméni, 22, has already established himself as a key player in the midfield.

Dayot Upamecano and Jules Koundé are embedded in defense, at the same age as Randal Kolo Muani (24 years old), promise of attack like Marcus Thuram (25 years old), contemporary of Ousmane Dembélé.

And Eduardo Camavinga is only 20 years old.

"It's a group that is very young. We also built our successes with defeats, so this group will recover" assured Varane in reference to the lost final of Euro-2016, springboard to the world title of 2018 "There is a potential which is enormous, it is a group which has heart".

© 2022 AFP

Source: france24

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