Rarely has an internship been so parasitized by extra-sporting questions.
On the eve of the reception of Austria, this Thursday (8:45 p.m.) at the Stade de France, in the League of Nations, Didier Deschamps, the coach of the Blues was particularly expected.
He arrived, shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, in front of the media for the traditional press briefing, and he returned to the tensions which animated the first days of the rally concerning image rights.
Kylian Mbappé had indeed regretted that no agreement could be reached before the World Cup (November 20 - December 18) in Qatar, going so far as to threaten to boycott a marketing shoot scheduled for Tuesday in Clairefontaine.
Monday evening, the Federation complied with the will of the player by reconsidering its position and by committing to revise "as soon as possible, the convention inherent in the rights of image which binds it to its players in selection " .
Mbappé, who finally took part in the photo session, and other influential players in the Les Bleus locker room believe that they must be consulted before the commercial operations of the FFF and that it could be expected that their participation is compatible with their commitments with their personal sponsors.
“Fights have always existed, underlines Didier Deschamps.
There are exchanges, discussions to reach common agreements where the interests of each other are taken into account.
From my position, as coach, I am there to ensure that the interests of the players and the institution are respected, that everyone finds common ground.
And on the side of the partners too, who have always been essential to the proper functioning of the French team.
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Is his task made more complicated?
"I have my responsibility," he replies.
It remains an honor and a source of pride for me.
With my staff, we have been at Clairefontaine since Sunday, the players arrived Monday noon, and the start of the course took place in a serious and good mood.
The game is the moment of truth.
The atmosphere is what it is.
I am cut off from the outside world.
I'm focused on what I have to do with the players.
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The coach then tried to explain the carnage of injuries and packages affecting the Blues.
"It's always the same thing," he said.
Football is a contact sport.
The sequence of meetings, the weeks with three matches that are repeated… All this multiplies the risks.
The internationals who finished mid-June took vacations later and the preparation was cut short.
We see that the number of injuries in recent years is increasing.
» How to adapt in these conditions?
“We have a lot of injuries, perhaps a little more than the other selections, specifies the coach, but that is not what leads me to change.
My approach is always the same: put the players individually in the best conditions.
Austria, in its last four games, has changed the system three times.
There will be an analysis compared to tomorrow and then Sunday after Denmark.
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