Special Envoy to Doha
To discover
The summary of the Argentina - France final
World Cup: The complete table of the final phase
All World Cup match results
Download the Le Figaro Sport app and follow the Blues in Qatar
His general feeling after the defeat in a legendary final
“In the analysis of the match, there are these big first 60 minutes where there was no match against an aggressive opponent, we were less well for different reasons.
We came back from nowhere, reversing a very compromised situation, which gives us even more regret.
The scenario after, it's football… We have a World Cup ball at the last minute (by Kolo Muani), it does not smile on us.
I congratulate Argentina who showed aggression and cunning, but I don't take any credit away from them.
There was a lot of emotion, but it's cruel at the end.
We brush against something that we could have touched, but this is not the case.
On our side, we had less energy on several important players (Giroud, Dembélé, Griezmann, Varane…), but the entry of young players (Kolo Muani, Thuram),
with less experience but freshness, we did what was necessary to give ourselves the right to dream.
But the dream did not materialize unfortunately.
»
What about the impact of the flu virus on the state of health of the Blues
“It's the whole group that has been subjected for a while to a situation that we have tried to manage as well as possible.
I do not have the answer.
Compared to the players who started the match, I had no worries.
These are elements (to be taken into account), but not excuses.
We did not have the dynamism that we have had until now.
For almost an hour, there was no match.
»
The explanation for the exits of Giroud and Dembélé in the 39th minute
“It's mainly because I wanted it to be different and we lacked freshness.
This is not to blame Olivier (Giroud) and Ousmane (Dembélé) who have done a lot (in the course of the Blues).
I saw them less well, and I didn't wait for half-time because we weren't going to get there.
We didn't have all of our athletic abilities and it happened against a team that was playing in a World Cup final and I didn't have that impression.
We can shake the coconut tree and reverse the trend, but in football everything goes very quickly and everything is possible.
Situations can quickly turn the other way, but unfortunately that was not enough.
»
Mbappé's hat-trick
“It's the World Cup of records, Kylian left his mark on this final, but he felt great sadness like the players.
»
Refereeing the final
“I would have preferred you not to ask me the question.
It was as it was, you (the journalists) are there to judge.
It could have been worse or better.
Yes, there are decisions that can lead to discussion.
Argentina weren't unhappy with the refereeing, but that doesn't take away from their merit and I don't say that for that.
(Annoyed) I won't go into detail.
Kudos to them.
»
His future in the France team
"You are not the first to ask me this, even if the result had been the opposite, I would not have given you the answer today (he is out of contract on December 31, but can extend after completing the objectives).
I am very sad, for my players and my staff.
I will have an appointment with my president at the beginning of the year and you will know it.
»
