Our favorites
22 points out of 24 possible, 7 wins, one draw, 29 goals for, 3 goals against. It’s difficult to imagine a better qualifying campaign for the Euro, with a ticket for Germany validated with ease. Finalists of the last World Cup, the Blues have perfectly digested Qatar, despite retirements (Lloris, Mandanda, Varane, Benzema) and prolonged absences of executives (Pogba, Kanté). Apart from a defeat in Germany (2-1) last September in a friendly, Deschamps’ men maintained their level of demands throughout the year. Strong.
Inducted as captain last March, a choice which disappointed Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé has perfectly assumed his new role in 2023. Perfect link between the old and the new generation, which takes him as an example, the 24-year-old striker has panicked the counters notably becoming the 3rd top scorer in the history of the France team with 46 goals (10 goals in 9 matches this year). A constant threat, a poison feared by the whole world, he did not drop his pace despite even greater pressure with the armband. Very great art.
Also read “In the locker room, it’s the big guy”: Kylian Mbappé, dubbed leader and never-sated legend
March 27, 2023. Dublin. Aviva Arena. The Blues won in Ireland by the smallest of margins (0-1) and Didier Deschamps breathes, aware of having gone through a mouse hole. After the match, one man made headlines: Mike Maignan. The French goalkeeper disgusted the Irish supporters by stopping these qualifiers at the end of the match. On a header from Nathan Collins, “Magic Mike” took flight, for a moment out of time. Tasty. Forever in his memory. And ours. A cat that honors the lineage of great goalkeepers in the history of the selection.
Also read “Incredible, he appeared out of nowhere”: Maignan, the judgment which validates his takeover among the Blues
Seeing his name appear in Didier Deschamps’ list on November 8 surprised no one, a sign of a talent destined to blossom at the highest level. At 17, he unwittingly swept away everything in his path. Warren arrives at the castle. Warren sings a song. Warren does his first workout. Warren speaks to the media. Warren is the starter. Warren scores in his first match. Warren gets injured. Warren will not play again in 2023. Warren will go to the Euro. A real madness for a kid who aims to win the title at the European championship, the baccalaureate and the Olympics next year.
Also read: “We’re taking 15 years with the Blues”: Warren Zaire-Emery, portrait of the new phenomenon of French football
On June 15 in Faro, the press room was in turmoil. Kylian Mbappé is preparing to disembark on the eve of Gibraltar-France. A week before, the captain of the Blues had sent a letter to PSG stipulating his desire not to lift the one-year extension of his contract. A decision that set the club on fire. And ignited the debates. Confident and also surprised by the turn of events, he will only answer one question about the match, the other 9 being about his current affairs and one about the Olympics. Mbappé comes out annoyed. Deschamps, who listens to everything and knows everything, is also. He does not want a player to take precedence over the selection. But Mbappé, global star, is much more than a captain of the Blues. As a result, the 24-year-old striker will remain silent for 5 months in the French team.
Like any love story, the relationship between Benjamin Pavard, the French team and Didier Deschamps is not linear. Forever the fabulous scorer against Argentina in 2018 with his “bastard strike”, the Northerner was first launched by “DD” when the general public did not know him. Then exploded into a full-back position that is not his, before experiencing the 2022 World Cup on the bench… overtaken by Axel Disasi on the right. But in his mind, Pavard is central. Nothing else. The coach heard him and gave him his chance on October 17 against Scotland. Result: a double and a full match (4-1) in front of his loved ones in Villeneuve d’Ascq. “Everyone saw where I was the best,” he breathed with a big smile at the end of the match and a ticket for the Euro undoubtedly validated at his favorite position.
Our claws
With six changes at once (Pavard, Todibo, Saliba, Coman, Camavinga and Kolo Muani replaced Koundé, Upamecano, L. Hernandez, Dembélé, Mbappé, Giroud) to challenge a sick Germany (Völler acted as firefighter on duty after the departure of Flick), Didier Deschamps and the Blues foundered in Dortmund on September 13 (2-1). This will be the only French defeat in 2023. However, the Germans were very weak opposite, but the coach had not made it his priority, validating a precious success against Ireland a few days earlier at the Parc des Princes. An evening to forget but which also testifies to a possible relapse when all the ingredients are not there. The France team is not infallible and it must remember that.
ALSO SEE – The goals and summary of Germany-France last September (2-1)
The start of 2023 will have been the occasion for a skirmish between Didier Deschamps and Karim Benzema. The latter, through enigmatic messages on social networks, cannot digest his departure from Qatar during the World Cup due to injury and is angry with his ex-coach. At Le Figaro at the beginning of March, Deschamps came out of the silence and provided his vision of the facts. For him, the interest of the France team took precedence. For Benzema, it is a lie and the Ballon d’Or assures that he wants to tell his truth “for the people”. We’re still waiting. Still, this media game has done no one any good and has definitively blurred the story between Benzema and the Blues. A real waste for an exceptional player.
In the bays of Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, the rumor spreads and becomes information. Paul Pobga (91 caps, 30 years old), heavyweight of the 2018 world champions who has not played a match for the selection since March 2022, tested positive for testosterone. A few seconds earlier, Didier Deschamps passed in front of the media… Behind the scenes, the French contingent, staff and players, fell from above. What happened ? How do you get caught like that? Did he do it knowingly? After the match, “DD” delivers his first feelings by supporting a man who could have become captain if he had not experienced all his extra-sporting affairs and injuries. Without saying it, Deschamps knows that Pogba in blue is now associated with the past tense.
Back in September at Clairefontaine, the Blues are preparing to face Ireland and Germany. All the lights are green after a summer which saw Saudi Arabia be aggressive on the transfer market. Asked about the case of N’Golo Kanté (53 caps, 32 years old), who joined Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad, Deschamps adopts a rigorous speech. If he does not recall the 2018 world champion, he follows him and also notes that the level of play in the Saudi League leaves something to be desired. Without holding a definitive position, everything except the style of Deschamps (Rabiot, Benzema, Todibo…), the coach does not fully understand the choice of his midfielder and does not intend to recall him if it is not to be a starter indisputable.