“It is a set. Above all, he is a top footballer, who has been with us for a while, with his fighting temperament. Obviously, his serious injury kept him away. The fact that he was able to return to competition, in addition to his experience, is a very good thing for the France group.
“He played again, he chained a few matches, with a championship which is of a good level with the players who have been recruited. It comes out of an almost blank year. Obviously, NG [N’Golo Kanté, editor’s note] is NG, with the experience he has with us. I felt that he needed to continue and that the players who were there during his absence met my expectations. I repeat: NG remains selectable, at all times. But on this gathering, I took the option of confirming the youngest who had already met the expectations of the very high level.
“He had the pleasure of being able to play about twenty minutes. It is the beginning of a long road compared to last year which was white for him. You have to have patience. I believe in him and his ability to get back to his best high level. His trainer manages it with his club so that he can continue. Compared to his status with the Blues, if I have to call him, it is to have him in the same role as before, not in a diminished role.
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“It is true that he is having a good start to the season, he is scoring, he is scoring. It is very good that he continues. He could have been on the list. But it is above all a balance in the list between midfielders and attackers. He does everything to be called.”
“It is not a surprise. Players have the versatility to play in several positions, it depends on the systems. I know that Benji [Benjamin Pavard, NDLR] aspires to also evolve in the axis. At Inter Milan, this will probably no longer be the case. I have already had discussions with him, as with Jules. Then there are the needs of the France team. He has the ability to play in both positions. Today, the full-back position is no longer a training position. They do not find themselves there by default but they are often former attackers or former centrals. When I call Benjamin Pavard and Jules Koundé, it’s to play right back. If it has changed, I will think about it because there is a choice.
“Nothing shocks me, and nothing bothers me either. These are situations that have happened before and can happen again. It happens close to the closing of the transfer market. I know Kolo [Randal Kolo Muani, editor’s note], he is someone who is very respectful. I do not have all the elements to be able to judge the situation. Until that moment, he continued to play with his club, to be successful. Between now and the end of the transfer window, there may be situations to put pressure on. When the players arrive at Clairefontaine, they will no longer change clubs.
“It’s good to have more affinities, it doesn’t go against the France team. But this will not be a criterion for choosing one player over another. Unfortunately, we do not have many matches in the France team, and we cannot refine much.
“We saw each other for a long time, we talked this morning. I had already exchanged several times with “Titi”. He was certainly a little over the top, he has his area of decision. What is important for the France A team is to ensure our qualification for Euro 2024. And for the Espoirs, it is to qualify for the next European championship. There will also be the Olympic Games in Paris. But it will be the club presidents who will decide whether or not to release players for the Games. The goal is to have the best team possible to avoid the masquerade of the last Games. I think French clubs will be more understanding, I don’t know why.”
“If you ask me, the Olympics are an important event. But Euro 2024 remains very important. It’s not up to me to set priorities if there are any to set, it seems obvious. Euro 2024 is a FIFA date, not the Olympics. These are two events that are very close. The next Olympics are in France, of course, the impact is very important.
“He is a versatile midfielder, especially attacking. In club, he mainly plays second striker, he participates in the game. The most important thing is that he keeps his influence in the game and the animation of the game of the France team.
“He can play full-back, he’s been good. It is versatile. Today, he will first be a midfielder. He has a little less playing time at the start of the season, but the competition is strong at Real Madrid. He is a very young player. With what he has shown, he can play in different positions, in different systems, with the volume, and this technical ability to use the ball well. He is also attracted by the offensive phase. It is not for nothing that he is already a regular at Real Madrid and that he has already made consistent performances with us.
“I already had selectable players who play in Italy. There are two more with Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard. These are players who have been in the France team for several years. A sign for Italian football? I watch a few more matches. I see everything. There was a period when the Italian championship was a priority and there was a period that was a little more hollow. Today, there is greater attraction, I don’t know if it comes from foreign shareholders or not. There are many French players who play in Italy.
“He is already in the recovery phase. He did a good job. It’s supposed to be available, although I’m not going to take any chances. He stopped for four days. It is very likely that he will not be affected by the Liverpool game on Sunday. If I put him on the list, there’s a good chance he’s available.”
“Yes I will follow her. I like rugby from my origins, I have already practiced. The event is in France. There too, there is an important expectation in relation to the performance of the Blues. I wish them success. The first match against the All Blacks, at the opening, will be important.
