Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Sunday October 13, 2024 at 8:30 p.m.
While the Blues will play their fourth match in the group stage of the League of Nations this Monday, Aurélien Tchouaméni has made no secret of the fact that this competition does not unleash passions.
The League of Nations is still struggling to convince. Launched by UEFA in 2018 to take the place of friendly matches for national teams, the competition is in its fourth edition and doubts remain about its usefulness in an ever busier calendar. On the eve of the Blues’ trip to Belgium as part of the fourth day of the group stage, Aurélien Tchouaméni spoke about the interest in the Nations League, which the France team won in 2021 in at the expense of Spain. “It’s not the competition of the century, we’re not going to hide it,” said the man who will once again wear the captain’s armband on the pitch at the King Baudouin Stadium. If he candidly admits that this position “is not a secret to anyone”, the Real Madrid player quickly got back on the right path, ensuring that he remains ambitious despite everything. “But it’s a competition,” he confided. As a professional football player, every time you put on the jersey, with the French team or at club, you must do everything to win. We are competitors. »
Tchouaméni: “It’s not the World Cup or the Euro”
Affirming to be “happy to have been able to add this trophy to (his) record” three years ago in Italy, the native of Rouen readily concedes that “it’s not the World Cup or the Euro” even if he does not intend to abuse it once he enters the field with the French team jersey on his shoulders. “If we play it it’s because we want to win it, and we’re going to do everything to do it,” he concluded. Also questioned on the subject by the press this Sunday, Didier Deschamps assured that his objective for this League of Nations was to “see the players in action on the pitch and as much as possible” during the six matches of the group stage. in view of the deadline represented by the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup, which will begin for the Blues either in March or in September depending on qualification for the final phase. He also added that “it’s a competition that becomes interesting from the moment we qualify for the Final 8”. The Blues coach is thus referring to the change in format of the League of Nations, which added quarter-finals contested by the first two of each group in League A.
