He is a legendary and popular figure in French football. At 85 years old, Guy Roux, the legendary coach with the cap who went to 13 World Cups and almost as many European Championships, still remembers the penultimate France-Belgium match that left its mark at the 2018 World Cup.
“I had been invited by the President of the Republic and for the little anecdote, I found myself a few meters from Putin in the stadium, it sends shivers down your spine when you see what is happening todayhe confides. I must also say that I was very impressed by this Belgian team which for me was the best of the tournament. At that time it was better than the French team but the Blues had been more realistic. But today, the two teams are no longer at the same level at all, we are far from the level of 2018. And I believe that this rivalry and this provocation on the French side comes mainly from columnists and the media who really make it into tons to generate audience. Because deep down, there is a lot of respect for the Red Devils team, both from the players and also from the public.“.
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And a few hours before this new duel between the two countries, Guy Roux gives his prediction. “It’s going to be a boring match, a closed match where both teams won’t want to take the game into their own hands, believes the former Auxerre coach. We can expect a game that lasts and could very well end in penalties. If you are not happy with your team, it still has weapons, especially with De Bruyne who is for me as much a world-class player as Mbappé. Ours lacks leaders, it does not deceive the opponent, it always plays the same and remains painful to watch play for more than a year. We have a midfield with three workers, we lack technique, creativity”.
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And according to him, the Blues’ game has become far too stereotypical. “Our attack has some particularly fast players but it seriously lacks variety in the game. We have two wingers who dribble a lot, make impact and we must always expect a feat but there is very little accuracy in their game. They hardly make any precise crosses and score very little.“.
