D-2 before the entry of the Red Devils into the Euro. This Saturday morning, a session without journalists was organized to prepare for the opening match against Slovakia. After training, Timothy Castagne was the first to appear in front of the press. “Everything is fine, I am 100% ready”, began Timothy Castagne. He also mentioned the situation of Axel Witsel, who still does not train with the group. “Axel Witsel worked individually and is still in his program. But it’s good to see him training next to us.”
On the other hand, this will be the only question concerning training since the spokesperson for the federation closed the door to our special correspondent, Frédéric Bleus on this subject. We therefore do not know the situation of Arthur Theate and Jan Vertonghen.
Close to Thomas Meunier who is still in Belgium, he gave news of the right back who was injured against Luxembourg. “I got him on the phone. I can’t say if he will be able to attend. It was a huge disappointment because he had done everything to be there. And he’s going to do the same to try to come back with us.”
Soberly, he affirmed that these possible absences did not worry the group. “Everyone must be ready to play. If the wounded return, that’s good news. But if they are not there, we will have to make do.” Despite these physical problems, Timothy Castagne believes that it will be necessary to play to the strengths of his team. “We know we have a lot of offensive qualities. Defensively we have to be strong. It’s up to me and a few others to help the younger ones. I try to do this to do my part and give some guidance to the new guys.”
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From the outside, the atmosphere in the group in Qatar looked difficult. A distant memory according to Gaumais. “We laugh a little more than in Qatar. There are also several young boys with us. There is a good ambiance. It’s very nice”, he said. “We watched the Germany game together yesterday and everyone is excited. It’s nicer to watch matches in a group, it further reinforces this great atmosphere.”
The status of the Red Devils has changed, like Carrasco and De Ketelaere this Friday, Castagne is also showing ambition. “After Qatar, we talked a lot. Now we have to show what we are worth on the pitch. It doesn’t matter if we are favorites or not. We don’t care what other countries say about us. If we believe in it, that’s good.”
Arthur Vermeeren: “I was surprised by my selection”
After Timothy Castagne, it was Arthur Vermeeren who introduced himself to the journalists. Little used at Atletico Madrid, he was frank when discussing this call-up to the national team. “I was a little surprised by my selection”he began. “I didn’t play much at Atletico, but the coach always expressed his confidence in me. It gives a lot of confidence. I try to learn as much as possible and help the team where I can.”
Tedesco came to the news from journalists
Despite this difficult situation at the club, the midfielder is not giving up. “I am making a lot of progress in my development, whether mentally or physically. In terms of intensity, everything is also going much faster. I see in training that I have already made enormous progress and I feel really at home. This will definitely help me in the coming period.”, he said, determined. According to him, this is also part of his learning after an XXL transfer. “Simeone said he had a lot of confidence in me. He told me that if I continued to work hard everything would be fine.” There is no question of him regretting his choice. “I’m very happy to play for such a big club. Obviously, I’m not coping well with the situation because I panic a little when I don’t play football. If I don’t play, I will work harder to convince the coach .”
Regarding his condition, he says he is ready to help the team, despite his reduced playing time. “Obviously, I miss the rhythm of the matches. But I haven’t been inactive at Atletico. In terms of physical preparation, I’m doing well.”
With the absences in defense, Domenico Tedesco lacks a solution. Could the player play in central defense? “I haven’t talked about it with the coach yet. However, I have already played in this position with the youth teams. If the coach puts me there, I will do my best.”
