Special Envoy to Athens
To discover
- Euro 2024: Qualifying standings
- Euro 2024: Qualifying schedule and results
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We apologize for the delay, but the traffic in Athens has caused us problems." Monday night at the Opap Arena, the press chief of the France team took the floor to apologize for the thirty minutes of delay of Didier Deschamps and Adrien Rabiot, expected to answer questions from the media at 18:30. The French contingent finally disembarked at 19 p.m.
Read alsoAdrien Rabiot: "I'm a leader in my own way"
The midfielder of the World Cup runners-up gasped in spite when a remark was made about traffic in the Greek capital. The same goes for the coach, who was quick to apologise to the French media present for Les Bleus' last trip in 2023, as well as the locals. "It's beyond our control," he said, who hates last-minute setbacks, before devoting himself to pre-game obligations.
In a hurry, the training of the France team, scheduled for 19h local time (1h less in France), was finally postponed after 19:30. Guy Stéphan, DD's assistant, accompanied by Cyril Moine, the physical trainer, but also Franck Raviot who takes care of the goalkeepers, hastened to set up the drills while the players were changing in the changing rooms of the magnificent Greek stadium. When Didier Deschamps arrived on the pitch, warned by his right-hand man, he discovered that the nets for both goals were not in place. This led to a heated exchange with the official present at the edge of the pitch.
A frank explanation between Deschamps and an official
Annoyed, the boss of Les Bleus made his displeasure known, before everything went back to normal and the two men ended their discussion in a more cordial tone and with a friendly handshake. A few seconds later, the players entered the pitch and the session could begin. Under the watchful eye of an attentive coach, resting on his cooler, due to a back pain that has been bothering him since the beginning of the gathering.
