World Cup 2022: "They know that I am there for them, to protect them", confides Didier Deschamps

The day before, Antoine Griezmann had said all the love he has for Didier Deschamps who, like him, won the World Cup with the number 7 on his back.

The two men know each other by heart.

On the occasion of the press conference organized before the round of 16 against Poland, the coach of the Blues was brought to discuss his relationship with the tricolor players.

What tips the balance in knockout matches?

DIDIER DESCHAMPS.

It's another competition that starts there, we have to ensure that there is another match behind.

These are cutthroat matches for all qualified teams.

Being in the round of 16, being part of the 16 qualified teams, that's already something.

It's also a management, even if there is less to manage now.

Did you talk about the elimination against Switzerland to your players again so as not to make the same mistakes?

Talking about the past, especially since it's such a positive moment (he jokes), I see no point in it.

It's not the same opponent and if I add more it would have fallen into something that I don't want... No more stress.

There is a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

When you see the group matches, you realize that there are no easy matches.

The level of difficulty necessarily increases, so on our side the requirements must be higher to fulfill our objectives.

Antoine Griezmann made you a declaration of love: in the management and management of men do you need to love your players?

Sure.

When you are a coach or a trainer, if you don't like the players... For me the most important thing is to know the human, the character, the sensitivities of each... With Antoine, like the others who are there for a while, there is a relationship of trust that has developed, which does not prevent me, if I think it is for his good or that of the France team to tell him things.

I am not their dad, nor their big brother... Not yet their grandfather (laughs).

But there is a human relationship.

Antoine and the oldest who are there know that I am there for them, to protect them, without however not saying what I have to say to them.

What do you think of the record that your goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris is about to equal?

He will equal Tutu (Lilian Thuram, 142 selections) that I knew well.

Records are all made to be broken at one time or another.

It is the longevity of two exemplary players.

All records have a meaning, none are trivial.

This one is speaking and has a very symbolic value.

What can be said about the very careful play of the Polish team?

This team had to defend a lot in the three group matches, and they defend very well!

I would even say that she likes it, that she loves it!

But they should not limit it to that, you know the players on the offensive level.

It is a competitive team with a hard core of players who have already taken part in international competitions.

Szczesny, Glik, Lewandowski, Krychowiak or Grosicki... I'm not going to name them all.

There are young people who are also discovering and who are up to it.

This team deserves its place in the round of 16, with obviously a great Szczesny in goal.

In self-sacrifice, there is a guarantor and my players know it.

All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappé and Robert Lewandowski.

A kind of match within the match?

(he slacks) Both will be present.

Afterwards, it's up to you to compare them if you want... The only thing I can tell you is that they are among the best attackers in the world, with different qualities, not the same age, not in the same register.

For France and Poland, these are two very important elements.

Lewandowski?

It has an efficiency in the truth zone which is very very good.

We must limit the influence of this type of player.

The less he has the ball, the less dangerous he can be and even if he did not have many balls to negotiate in the first three games, we know that the smallest ball can be dangerous with him.

We are not only going to focus on him but we know that he is there to make Poland's situations a reality.

Do you see a difference between the player and the man that is Adrien Rabiot?

It's him on the field and on a human level.

I don't find it.

He's been with us for a while, although he had a break unfortunately, for different reasons.

He is in full possession of his faculties.

He is in the continuity of what he does with his club.

On the human level, his character, he is as he is.

I know him well, he is the same, except that he removed things that bothered him at one time... His placement, his positioning, could limit him at one time.

He is a complete midfielder, lower or higher on the pitch.

He describes himself as a balance player, and I use the formula because I find it fair enough.

It's not reductive.

He can be impactful defensively and offensively.

I don't need to repeat things to him 3-4 times, he knows and he feels where he needs to be.