Special envoy to Vienna
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League of Nations: group draw ... which opponents for the Blues?
Nations League: schedule and results
The subject that makes people talk.
And talk for nearly seventy-two hours.
A player's injury?
A bad result?
The weather in Vienna?
Nothing of the sort.
The appearance of a gaping hole in the lawn of the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna has been controversial in recent days, to the point of being insistently mentioned this Thursday during the traditional pre-match press conferences.
But let the Blues of Didier Deschamps, who were not worried on Wednesday evening, be reassured, UEFA has given its agreement to maintain the meeting, counting for the third day of the League of Nations.
“
I hope it will never happen again
,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick told the media on Thursday.
For his part, David Alaba, partner of Karim Benzema at Real Madrid and captain of the selection, believes he has "
a little less concern
" after the validation of UEFA, following in particular a meeting which took place on Wednesday evening. .
"
The lawn has been analyzed and UEFA has given its approval so we have a little less concern, if any
," said the Austrian defender, who will challenge the Blues on Friday evening in Vienna.
A controversy that stains Austria before receiving the world champions
Read alsoFoot: the Austria-France match maintained by UEFA despite a hole in the lawn
As a reminder, the appearance of a gaping hole at least 30 centimeters deep in the middle of the field at the end of the match between Austria and Denmark on Monday evening in the Nations League forced the organization to take a serious look. on this topic.
Difficult to do otherwise in view of the state of the lawn and in the face of a growing controversy with videos that quickly made the rounds of the European media.
A sequence that looks bad when receiving the reigning world champions.
The lawn of the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna.
FRANCK FIFE / AFP
“
The day of the game against Denmark, it was, I would say the pitch was in order.
There was no problem
,” Alaba explained.
Austria's German coach Ralf Rangnick also returned to the controversy on Monday evening, an evening also marked by a gigantic power failure which delayed kick-off by an hour and a half.
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No new cavity identified
“
Two things happened that usually don't happen on the same night.
I hope it will never happen again in the next 30 years
, ”he said.
“
All the external elements on the stadium, we can no longer influence them, so we will focus on what we can influence
”, he resumed.
Read also“Kamikaze, modern, never in the show”: Mike Maignan, the man who puts pressure on Lloris … and Deschamps
The lawn of the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna.
FRANCK FIFE / AFP
Read alsoNations League, makeover of the Blues, captain Kimpembe ... Deschamps' words after Croatia-France
Precinct of the Euro-2008 final, the Ernst-Happel stadium will be sold out for the reception of France, with up to 44,800 spectators expected.
Hoping this time no false note.
(With AFP)
