While the French are fully focused on the legislative elections, Didier Deschamps appeared at a press conference this Sunday evening, on the eve of the round of 16 match against Belgium.
To what extent can what you experienced three years ago with an elimination in the round of 16 against Switzerland help you?
It was three years ago, it was painful and we will do everything to ensure that it does not happen again like that. Even if we learn from all experiences, including the negative ones. We have done other things since then and we have a place in the quarter-finals to go for.
To what extent can this diamond system put your attackers in the best conditions?
I always make sure to put a team that seems to me to have the best possible dispositions to put the opponent in difficulty and to be solid defensively. The important thing for me are the offensive and defensive animations with good occupation of the zones. I also aim to put all the players in the best conditions when possible because it can happen that some do not play in their position. But it’s for the good of the group. After you break it down into different geometric positions, it’s part of the game.
In the event of a penalty shootout, do you have a real strategy?
Above all, we were lucky or successful enough to win our knockout matches in 90 minutes. A penalty shootout requires preparation because we have information about our opponents and our players. But we can’t predict everything either, for example during the last one (Argentina in 2022), I made seven changes during the match. So those who were planned and those who took the shots were not necessarily the same. My goal is to make sure we don’t go there, but if we have to go there, we will go.
You have repeatedly told your players that a new competition is starting. What do you expect from them that is different?
We had the course we had. It’s a new competition within the competition, there’s no catching up possible. Opposite, the teams that qualified were better than those eliminated, even if we can discuss it. First of all, we have to redo everything we did well and we want to be efficient. To win matches, you have to score. We didn’t do it, it can happen to all teams. The big scorers can have breakdowns. We have to raise our level because opposite us we will have quality.
Do you sense any signs that the group may be waking up?
[Il coupe] They never slept. We did what we did, we could have done better. We were always concerned and attentive and I sincerely have a very large group. As in all teams, there are players who are disappointed because they did not play a minute. The stakes bring a greater demand to be realized on the field.
Until now the teams you manage have scored a lot of goals in the final phase. Can players feel some stress?
No. We don’t score many goals, that’s a fact and I can’t say anything. But Belgium also scored only two goals, so what should we say? The players aren’t worn out. There shouldn’t be any tension.
What do you think about the level of the Euro?
It’s very hard for everyone. The teams that are here, even if they are considered small on paper, are playing very well with a lot of intensity. Apart from Portugal and Spain who qualified from the second group match, all the others had to fight during the third match. That means that there is a very high level.
