Thirty-three years after its first coronation, will the French hopefuls team win a second Euro?
The Bleuets will present a team that looks very good.
The coach Sylvain Ripoll has, in fact, unveiled this Monday afternoon the list of 23 players selected to play the group stage of the European Under-21 Championship, scheduled for March 25 to 31 in Hungary.
The former Lorient coach notably called on three players already selected with the France A team: Eduardo Camavinga (4 capes), Jonathan Ikone (4) and Houssem Aouar (a cape).
Hertha Berlin midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi was summoned in 2019 by Didier Deschamps to replace Paul Pobga at the time (forfeit) but he does not yet have a selection with the A.
A very well supplied attack
In goals, Sylvain Ripoll selected Illan Meslier, author of a very good season with Leeds (Premier League) of Marcelo Bielsa.
In defense, Jules Koundé (Sevilla FC), who is one of the best central players in the Spanish league, will be accompanied by former Stéphanois Wesley Fofana, revelation of the season in Leicester City (3rd in the Premier League) and Benoît Badiashile, efficient with AS Monaco.
The Parisian right-back Colin Dagba, holder with PSG Sunday night against Nantes (1-2), is also part of the list.
In the middle, in addition to Camavinga, Aouar and Guendouzi, the Bleuets will be able to count on Romain Faivre, excellent with Brest, the Marseillais Boubacar Kamara, the Monegasque Tchouameni and the Lillois Boubakary Soumaré.
The attack is also very well provided with the former Parisian Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), the Lillois Jonathan Ikoné, the Celtic Glasgow striker Odsonne Edouard and the Nantes native Randal Kolo Muani, who made miseries (a goal and a decisive pass) Sunday night in the defense of PSG.
9 wins in the knockout stages
After finishing in first place in group 2 of the eliminatory stages, with 27 points and a record of 9 victories for 1 defeat in Switzerland (32 goals scored, 10 goals conceded), the France Espoirs team can therefore watch the final phase. of the Euro with a lot of appetite.
Reversed in Group C, the Habs will face Denmark (Thursday March 25, 9:00 p.m.) and Russia (Sunday March 28, 9:00 p.m.) at the Haladas Stadion in Szombathely, before challenging Iceland (Wednesday March 31, 6:00 p.m.) at Gyirmoti Stadion in Györ.
The first two of the group will advance to the quarter-finals which will take place later from May 31, 2021. Les Bleuets will play Székesfehérvár if they finish first in Group C or Budapest if they finish second.
The complete selection
Goalkeepers: Dimitry Bertaud (Montpellier), Alban Lafon (Nantes), Illan Meslier (Leeds).
Defenders: Benoît Badiashile (Monaco), Colin Dagba (PSG), Wesley Fofana (Leicester), Pierre Kalulu (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konaté (RB Leipzig), Jules Koundé (Sevilla FC), Faitout Maoussa (Rennes), Adrien Truffert ( Rennes).
Midfielders: Houssem Aouar (Lyon), Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes), Romain Faivre (Brest), Mattéo Guendouzi (Hertha Berlin), Boubakar Kamara (Marseille), Boubakary Soumaré (Lille), Aurélien Tchouameni (Monaco).
Forwards: Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic Glasgow), Amine Gouiri (Nice), Jonathan Ikone (Lille), Randal Kolo Muani (Nantes).