Two 2018 world champions in the stands to support the Blues! This Monday, on the occasion of France-Belgium in the 8th finals of the Euro, Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi will be present in the stands of the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf to encourage Didier Deschamps’ men. They have planned to make the trip and will have the opportunity to greet the group to share their best thoughts. The presence of the two midfielders inevitably brings back good memories with this coronation in Russia in particular which saw the Tricolores tame the Red Devils in the semi-finals (1-0) at the end of a tight match that the two players had obviously played.
Suspended for four years for doping after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) last August, Paul Pogba has appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In the meantime, the 31-year-old player, who scored in the elimination on penalties in the round of 16 of Euro 2021 against Switzerland (3-3, 4 penalties to 5), will be able to see many of his former teammates again. His last selection dates back to March 29, 2022 against South Africa (5-0) at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
The Blues travel by plane
The Blues train one last time this Sunday morning, at 11 a.m., in Paderborn. They will then travel by plane and not by bus, as was the case during the first group match against Austria (1-0). Previously, the members of the French delegation had considered making the trip to Düsseldorf by bus again, but the actual traffic conditions ultimately seemed more complex. Kylian Mbappé and his partners will therefore leave their base camp around 5:30 p.m. and take off from Paderborn airport an hour later. Didier Deschamps and a player are expected at a press conference at the Düsseldorf stadium at 7:30 p.m. this Sunday.
