Special envoy to Marseilles
The legend (as well as some players) says that with a Euro 2016 final played at the Stade-Vélodrome, the French team would have won the title against Portugal (0-1 defeat), pushed by a public on fire as was the case in the semi-final against Germany (2-0) three days earlier in July.
Memories of an evening of hysteria and collective drunkenness that only the stands of the Marseille enclosure can (often) offer.
This Friday evening against Côte d'Ivoire (9:15 p.m., M6), if the issue is light years away from the timeless moment experienced by 60,000 privileged people six years ago in the cauldron of the Vélodrome, the world champions are overflowing with desire and greed at the idea of launching a year 2022 that they hope will be historic.
The World Cup in Qatar is only scheduled for eight months (November 21-December 18),
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Didier Deschamps in Marseille, in memory of the good (and not so good) times
Staff, players and even followers are already turned towards the great world rout which will say a lot about the resources and the motivations of a French team beaten and punished from the 8th finals of the Euro last June but able to find a new breath by winning the League of Nations against Belgium and Spain in October.
A reaction of pride which offers respite and confidence when approaching 2022 to Didier Deschamps and his troops with eight matches on the program and in particular two friendlies in March with the reception of the Ivorians this Friday then South Africa Tuesday evening in Villeneuve -d'Ascq.
We are not there yet but in the history of the World Cup, only two nations (Italy in 1934-1938 and Brazil in 1958-1962) have managed the feat of retaining their title,
with in recent years cataclysms experienced by the defending champions eliminated in the first round (Germany 2018, Spain 2014, Italy 2010, France 2002, etc.).
The challenge ahead of the Blues promises to be immense, dizzying and terribly exciting.
Freshness and renewal
Before the XXL meeting of a first World Cup disputed in winter, Didier Deschamps found the good idea to start the year by putting on his list of 23 the names of three newcomers: Jonathan Clauss (29 years old, RC Lens), William Saliba (21, Olympique de Marseille), Christopher Nkunku (24, RB Leipzig) and that of a returnee with Olivier Giroud (34, AC Milan), dismissed since the failed Euro, but summoned after Karim Benzema's package.
Above all not to please them - not the kind of house - even less to socialize or give in to any media pressure, but with the idea of bringing freshness and renewal to a workforce which now only includes ten champions of the Russian epic world four years ago.
In his desire to move the lines,
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Blues: the stakes of a gathering that can pay (very) big to some
As mentioned by Paul Pogba on Wednesday in our columns, “DD” also learned from his mistakes from the last Euro.
In 2022, the guideline is clear, around the new game system (3-5-2) put in place with the ambition of placing in the best possible position the fire attack it has around the Mbappé-Griezmann- Benzema, even if the latter is absent during this rally.
It's up to Giroud and Nkunku this Friday and/or Tuesday to knock on the door and show that they will also have to be counted on.
Sign of an exceptional richness within the reservoir of the France team, to make many breeders from all over the world pale.
But the stacking of stars has never ensured anyone the quest for titles, the examples are multiple.
These two friendly matches are there to gently launch the blue rocket.
The Vélodrome theater is just waiting for this evening to roar again and play its role to perfection.
Quick, let 2022 begin for the France team.
