Faced with the media this Wednesday, after a light training session, Raphaël Varane gave his state of mind after the success of the France team the day before against Germany (1-0), for his entry into the competition .
The Real Madrid defender was not the only one to achieve a big game.
This was also the case for his partner Paul Pogba whom he did not fail to congratulate, even indicating that he would have all the qualities required to one day wear the captain's armband in selection.
Was it the best game of your career for Blue?
RAPHAËL VARANE.
We had a good performance.
We were solid, conceded few chances.
Teamwork must be emphasized.
This is one of our benchmark matches, we left little space, blocked a lot of shots, anticipated a lot of passes.
We were also good in the duels.
We did not concede a goal, we are satisfied and, inevitably, for the defense, it is more confidence.
Why didn't you put your knee to the ground before kick-off?
It is a decision made by all the players. As Hugo (Lloris) said, it is a cause that we support. The fight against racism, discrimination ... We discussed it among us and, today, we realize that it is no longer the same symbol as at the beginning. Today, it is more a symbol of tension and tension. There is no collective momentum with a clear, strong and unanimous message. The message is not what we want and we made this decision together, us players. The France group is made up of 26 players with different origins, different skin colors, from different social categories. To fight against discrimination together, we can carry values. Our goal is to unite millions of French people, football fans, that's the message we want to get across.If the message is clear and unanimous, the France team will be the first to support a cause as important as the fight against racism and discrimination.
A good start !
🇫🇷 @equipedefrance pic.twitter.com/2f8aFXWYBs
- Raphaël Varane (@raphaelvarane) June 16, 2021
How can we keep everyone under pressure, both incumbents and substitutes?
It is a collective state of mind that we must have.
I really enjoyed the preparation for the match, we felt a collective strength.
This is one of our strengths, we have to build on it.
We are far from our families, everyone wants to play, to help the team but we are all pulling in the same direction.
Everyone has a role to play and the general atmosphere is very good.
We're gonna need everyone.
How do you judge your agreement with Presnel Kimpembe?
With Presnel, we have complementary qualities.
We talk a lot, whether it's before the game, at half-time or on the pitch.
We talk a lot about who is marking or covering.
The more we play together, the more automatisms we have.
In this kind of match, it's a question of concentration.
We also spoke a lot with our community to be in good shape to defend well and counter the opposing attacks.
We faced a very good team, we had to be very focused, and we discussed a lot to be efficient.
How do you judge the evolution of Paul Pogba?
He started very early, with a lot of maturity.
He has so many qualities that the difficulty for him is knowing when to use a particular force.
Today, he has achieved a certain balance in his game. He has been performing well for many years.
In addition to that he brings a lot to the group by his character and his desire on the ground.
We are very happy to have a Paul at this level.
Did you talk to him about Antonio Rüdiger's bite?
No, we didn't discuss it.
On the pitch, Paul, it was a treat, a delight.
But from there to bite him ... (laughs).
Paul could have fallen and rolled over on the ground, but he didn't.
After the game, they discussed it, there is nothing more.
It could have been sanctioned, it was not.
We are moving forward and it is already behind us.
Do you feel more confident and can he wear the captain's armband in the future?
He evolves, gains in confidence, in maturity.
He has this strength of character, this determination.
He knows how to convey that to the group.
He is listened to, respected, in addition he sets the mood.
He is of course a player who could wear the armband in the French team, without any problem.
Were you surprised that Benjamin Pavard returned to the game so quickly on Tuesday night?
It's great that we're talking a little more about concussions. It is very closely watched in rugby, but it is also important this monitoring in football. It's necessary to be vigilant. I was close to the action, I arrived quickly with Benjamin. It took him a few moments to be totally fine, but the doctors arrived and saw that he was perfectly conscious, fit to replay. It took longer because he was bleeding from his nose but he could play. I saw him 100%, today he is doing very well. The doctors have been attentive and played their part to ensure that there is no problem as the health of the players remains a priority.
