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Journalist
Graduated from Journalism School in Paris. Specializing in Football, and more particularly on the transfer window. Fan of PSG and Stade Français.
Relegated to second place in the hierarchy of defenders of the France team at the time of Euro 2024, Ibrahima Konaté has therefore left his place numerically to William Saliba. A radical choice on the part of Didier Deschamps, but which posed no problem for the Liverpool player who confided at length about this decision and his very good relationship with Saliba.
It's a fact, the task of national coach requires making choices that don't suit everyone. Ibrahim Konate knows something about it. Indisputable holder during the excellent career of theFrench team during the 2022 World Cup Qatarthe central defender of Liverpool was forced to give up this place to William Saliba at the Euro last summer. The player ofArsenal was preferred by Deschampsmore Konate preferred to take it philosophically as he confided to Canal Football Club.
“Now bro, it’s your time, take it.”
« That's what was difficult, to be a constant starter, and when the flagship competition for which we prepared for months arrives, not to play it. It was hard in the private and personal aspect, but now, William Saliba is a friend, he's like a brother to me, so when he was a starter, I often chatted with him, because he was next to me, and I told him: “now brother, it's your time, take it, I've played a lot of matches, now it's your turn. Even if we know that competition, there is no has no pity eh, but beyond that, he's someone I'm very close to, and his performance at Arsenal recently, he deserves it too, so I was very happy for him. I just told him to continue, but after that. I know the ins and outs of why I didn't start at the Euro », confides Konate.
“We need this kind of booster shot”
« I hadn't played in recent months, I was lacking a lot of rhythm, and it showed in training. And the coach told me that at that time, there was someone better than me in this position. I totally understood. It was a big lesson for me. In life sometimes, you need this kind of reminder that nothing is ever taken for granted, and that you always have to work. Today I am even more determined », continues Ibrahim Konate. A speech that should please Didier Deschamps as well as A cross.
