(Paderborn) Despite recent checkered results, questions surrounding Kylian Mbappé or the state of the environment, the Blues are bathed in tranquility and confidence, sure of their strengths and their potential before their entry into the running at Euro-2024, Monday.
Don’t panic. This is the state of mind displayed by the players of the French team, ready to assume their status as big favorites, as their first match looms, in four days against Austria in Düsseldorf. The two preparation matches, far from being convincing (victory against Luxembourg 3-0, draw against Canada 0-0), have absolutely not affected the morale of the vice-world champions forged by a succession of successful campaigns, apart from the failure of Euro-2021 (elimination in the 8th finals).
Competitors at heart, like their coach, Didier Deschamps’ men all say they are only waiting for the start of the tournament to let loose and are not focusing on failed friendly matches.
“We tried things, we took some playing time, some benchmarks. That was the goal of these matches, we will inevitably approach the competition with a different face,” said Kingsley Coman on Wednesday, now well recovered from his physical problems.
“I would say that we are calm, the ambitions have not changed. It’s not because we are calm that we will win it (the Euro, Editor’s note), but we will do everything for it, there is no alarm,” added the Bayern Munich striker .
Same tone from his club teammate, defender Dayot Upamecano: “I don’t see a problem.”
Kylian Mbappé is determined to erase his very complicated last months. Despite legitimate doubts about his physical condition after a season where he saw his playing time cut at PSG after announcing his departure to his managers, the future Real Madrid striker has gone back like a clock.
“I can’t wait for it to start. I of course want to leave my mark on the pitch during the Euro. We come to Germany to make history,” said the captain in an interview with Sport Bild published on Wednesday.
“We have a very strong team, everyone knows that, we don’t have to repeat that every time. We come to Germany with great ambitions, but also with a lot of humility,” he continued.
Words which echo those of defender Jonathan Clauss during the rally in Clairefontaine, according to whom France has “almost the best players in the world in every position”.
Too bad if the last outings before arriving in Germany were unremarkable, if the offensive animation leaves something to be desired or if the physical problems of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot sow doubt on the composition of the midfield: Blues play it serene.
This faith in oneself, for the moment unshakeable before launching into the deep end of the Euro on Monday, is also nourished by the way in which the Tricolores are perceived outside. Arriving on Wednesday at their German base camp, near Paderborn (North Rhine-Westphalia) where blue-white-red dominates, they were able to measure their immense popularity with a welcoming committee on the tarmac of the city’s small airport. and a swarm of fans around their hotel, gathered to try to catch a glimpse of the finalists of the last World Cup.
After a very studious first session on Wednesday, Didier Deschamps’ men will carry out training open to the public on Thursday late afternoon. While the gauge is limited to 500 spectators by UEFA, the French Football Federation has obtained an exemption to increase it to 4000, according to the management of the French team.
A sign of the enthusiasm around Kylian Mbappé’s teammates, the city and club of Paderborn, organizers of the event, received more than 100,000 requests, according to the same source, or two thirds of the inhabitants of this small city of the Ruhr which has around 150,000.