The French internationals will not go on holiday until after June 20. Before and at the end of a rich and long season, with a World Cup in the middle, they will have one last duty, in two parts: Gibraltar in Faro in Portugal and Greece in Saint-Denis at the France stadium as part of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. For now, Didier Deschamps' Blues are at the top of their pool, with two successes against the Netherlands (4-0) and Ireland (1-0). The rally will begin on Friday, June 9 in Clairefontaine in the Yvelines.
For the last two outings of the season, the national coach has summoned 23 players with the return of Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona) and Christopher Nkunku (Leipzig). In a press conference on Wednesday, May 31 at the headquarters of the French Federation boulevard de Grenelle (XVth arrondissement), he detailed his choices.
Are you worried about the long time lag between the end of the championships, especially in Germany, and your first match on June 16?
DIDIER DESCHAMPS. This concerns six players in the list, who play in Germany. There will be a desired physical maintenance work, desirable, recommended to compensate for the time between their last match and the call-up to Clairefontaine. I also brought forward the gathering to have almost the whole group. There will be 22 on Friday, June 9 at noon., except Alphonse Areola, who will be involved in the final of the Conference Europa League.
Apart from the goalkeeper, no international is involved in the European finals. Is this a good thing compared to previous years?
For the players, it's better to play finals, especially the Champions League, even if a defeat can be difficult to digest. June is always very complicated, even more so this season because there was the World Cup. The energetic expenditure, both physical and mental, was significant. It's been an exhausting season. We will have to confirm what was done in March.
Why the recall of Ferland Mendy?
And why not? On the last rally, he was wounded. It took him a little while to come back. He has already come with us. He knows that position well and he is versatile. He is not at the top of his form because of his injury and the lack of sequence of matches, but it does not change his qualities. Its value is not in question.
Are you surprised by the constant interest of the public, with the France Stadium already full for France Greece on June 19?
It is a great joy to see the attachment and closeness of the France team with its audience. The Stade de France has 80,000 seats. It is related to what has been done in recent years. It's wonderful. The players need that and that's their merit. People identify with the France team. This does not mean that the group will tell it to itself. We must maintain and build on this interest and continue to have the same requirement in these two games. We have six points to take.
Will Alexandre Lacazette ever return to the national team when he has 27 goals in Ligue 1, with one more game to play with Lyon?
Good for him! Congratulations to him and his club! He has always had that efficiency, even if this season he is playing a lot more. He is one of the selectable, the pre-selected. There is competition in his position with players who have met my expectations. It doesn't make sense to put several players with the same profile. We continue to follow him but in this box, we have Olivier Giroud and Randal Kolo Muani.
Didier Deschamps has unveiled the list of ⃣ ⃣ Blues summoned for our next 2 qualifying matches for EURO 3 👊
2 June: Gibraltar 🆚 France 2024 June: 🇬🇮 🇫🇷 France 🆚
🇫🇷Greece 🇬🇷 #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/vAzQCedDuf16️19️
— France ⭐⭐ Team (@equipedefrance) May 31, 2023
Would Paul Pogba have returned if he hadn't been injured again?
I talked a lot with Paul. His season is very difficult for him, already off the field. This caused injuries. He was thinking just in case. It has been essential and fundamental for years. He will do everything to be again. I wish him and the team France too. I hope he can solve all his problems and start another season with his athleticism and leadership.
How do you explain Kingsley Coman's consistency?
It is every season in the right place at the right time. He has been champion every season for eleven years. He is used to the very high level. He has experienced injuries and today he is less affected. He's a great competitor, a top player.
Will you be consulted in case of a change of club of a Blue?
If they wish, yes. This can happen at and off gatherings. They have enough advisors, but I can give them my opinion. It's part of a relationship of trust. I am open about that.
Is Aurélien Tchouaméni weakened by his status as a substitute at Real Madrid?
His playing time has been reduced. I discussed it with him, he cannot fully flourish in this situation. He remains a very high level player. He's not at his best he can do, but he's playing anyway. He did not leave for Real not to play the big games of the Champions League, the choices are detrimental to him. But there is competition and I am not Carlo Ancelotti. He's at Real Madrid anyway! But psychologically, it is not the best season of his young career.
Robin Le Normand, the defender of Real Sociedad, chose to play for the Spanish national team while he was born in France. Are you annoyed?
No. It is his freedom. He made representations with the Spanish federation. He has an atypical career. We had been following him for quite some time. He is not someone who naturally seeks media exposure. It is very efficient. It is his choice. I wish him all the best with the Spanish team.