If he paid new tribute to Antoine Griezmann on Thursday at a press conference, he indeed appears to be primarily responsible for his international retirement, according to Jérôme Rothen.
A (heavy) page is turning for the Blues. Consequence of the international retirement of Antoine Griezmann. Still present in September for the two matches against Italy and Belgium, the Madrilenian called it quits on Monday, and the France team will now have to do without their playing master. By Didier Deschamps’ own admission, the Mâconnais is irreplaceable.
“Without him we play differently,” he said at a press conference on Thursday, on the occasion of the announcement of the 23 Blues summoned for the two upcoming matches against Israel and Belgium, adding: “It’s not possible to replace him position for position, that’s a certainty,” continued the coach. Because he had such a great influence through his technical quality and the ability he had in the volume of play to repeat efforts. But it didn’t happen overnight, even if by arriving in 2014 he was already, two years later at the Euro, a determining element.
Antoine Griezmann sacrificed for Kylian Mbappé
Despite its importance in the game of the Blues, Didier Deschamps has not hesitated to deprive himself of it in the heart of the game in recent months. The fault is Kylian Mbappé, according to Jérôme Rothen.
“Kylian Mbappé no longer wanted to play on the right. He (Deschamps) told me in private: ‘Kylian, I can make him play on the right but he won’t defend as much as he did when he arrived. So I put him in a position where I can animate my midfield differently.’”he explained at the microphone of RMC.
“You’re giving Mbappé a little pass. And who suffered all this? Antoine Griezmann! He wandered down the right side, added the former midfielder. Antoine no longer has the legs to play on the right side. You’re not playing to his strengths. »
A situation which precipitated the end of the Madrilenian’s international career.
