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Euro 2021: Benzema with Giroud, Mbappé with Pogba ... at the table with the Blues

2021-06-14T21:49:57.228Z


For nearly three weeks, the 26 internationals have been eating their meals in the Aimé Jacquet lounge in Clairefontaine. The distribution of qua


In the Clairefontaine bubble, some speak of it as a privileged place of exchange and sharing. A friendly space, also a barometer, where discussions abound and laughter often erupt. Welcome to the Aimé Jacquet lounge dedicated to meals for French players and staff. A total of 45 people meet there daily from the start of the gathering until June 13, the day before departure for Munich, for lunch and dinner. While the breakfast schedule is flexible - between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., except on treatment days - the midday and evening periods are regulated like music paper. Appointment is made for 12:30 p.m., or even 1 p.m. in the event of a morning training, then around 8:30 p.m.

The players are divided between 4 tables, one of eight and three of six. The first brings together Raphaël Varane, Hugo Lloris, Lucas Hernandez, Léo Dubois, Benjamin Pavard, Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud. It is no coincidence that the Chelsea center-forward, present with the group since June 2, has been placed there. Seating plans are set, in fact, by the staff, taking into account in particular affinities (Lloris-Giroud, Benzema-Varane, Mbappé-Dembélé, Maignan-Kimpembe…) and taking care to avoid generational barriers.

At the second table, there are Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Clément Lenglet and Lucas Digne.

The third is composed of Kurt Zouma, N'Golo Kanté, Presnel Kimpembe, Mike Maignan, Jules Koundé and Wissam Ben Yedder and the last, finally, brings together Steve Mandanda, Thomas Lemar, Adrien Rabiot, Moussa Sissoko, Corentin Tolisso and Kingsley Coman.

Lucas Hernandez, Raphaël Varane, Karim Benzema and Léo Dubois gathered around the table in Nice, before the warm-up match against Wales.

Youtube / French Football Federation

The staff is divided into two tables.

One of 8 groups Didier Deschamps with Franck Raviot, the goalkeeper coach, to his right;

and on his left Guy Stéphan his faithful assistant.

There is also Cyril Moine the physical trainer or Franck le Gall, the doctor.

That of ten chairs is shared in particular by the 4 physiotherapists and Thierry Marszalek, the manager, for more than two decades, of the audiovisual pole of the FFF.

The 19th member takes his meals off-beat, once the service is over.

And for good reason, it is the chef Xavier Rousseau.

After having worked in many large houses such as Ledoyen, Taillevent, Paul Bocuse, La Grande Cascade, he joined Sodexo for 13 years and joined the management of the French team in September 2017.

Fight the taste routine

Attentive to everyone's tastes and sensibilities, the chef, along with his team, offers enough choices every day to meet all expectations, always within the framework of the doctor's recommendations. There are no prohibited foods, but rather culinary advice, in order to avoid oils, mayonnaise, the fat of meats, favor herbs and spices for taste rather than excess salt, and highlight the nutritional qualities of the products.

This does not prevent Xavier Rousseau from being creative and from offering adapted and tasty menus. In detail, the buffet is set up in the entrance hall of the castle. In addition to appetizers and raw vegetables, it systematically offers fish and meat, vegetables, starchy foods and fruit. The players compose their own plate for each meal. One way to give them choice while eating a healthy diet.

Added to this is the highly prized pasta bar, rented by Paul Pogba at the 2018 World Cup. In order to combat the taste routine, there is only one meat and one fish on the daily menu.

The chef turns, for example, with six or seven fish, but even with this stratagem, that does not prevent repetitions.

He also makes sure to fine-tune the presentation, cut and size of raw products, especially vegetables and fruits.

For the anecdote, it even happens to him to exchange recipes with the Blues and to entrust them some, like that of his sautéed shrimp which met with great success.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-06-14

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