“Can you explain to us why you used your system with Adrien Rabiot on the left?
I make sure to make choices to have the most balanced team to be able to attack and defend well. Against a good Dutch team which was more cautious than usual. I have regrets in terms of efficiency. Without scoring, you cannot win. In these matches, we can lose him too. They had two chances with great intensity. Repeating a performance like that, with much less recovery time, I am satisfied with what my team did tonight.
Are you satisfied with these first two matches?
There are a lot of positive points and you have to look at the opponents too. Austria gave Poland three… Here we are! Whether on a mental level, creating danger… Strength is important but to win matches, you have to score. We need to be able to qualify for the next one.
Does this lack of efficiency worry you?
I’m not worried. Sometimes you have two chances and you’re going to score… That doesn’t worry me, but… What would worry me would be not having a chance. We have good room for improvement in this area.
“I don’t have to bluff (about Kylian Mbappé). It’s better. Every day that passes is a day gained
How did you find Antoine Griezmann?
He can alternate several positions. The more he touches the ball, the better. He is very generous and at times, this causes him to have less lucidity. I found him much better than in the first match where he had a technical waste which is not usual for him.
Can you explain to us your management of Kylian Mbappé, was it a bluff?
I don’t have to bluff. It’s better. Every day that passes is a day gained. If it had been a decisive match, I might have thought differently even if it’s important to have Kylian’s feelings. We are getting closer to a consolidation which is better. After what happened, it was wiser for him to stay on the bench.
Do you understand that the Dutch goal was disallowed?
For me, there is no goal. We had a meeting with the referees and there was a player offside. It seems obvious to me but I didn’t understand why it took so long?
Mike Maignan might have deserved to be man of the match, what do you think of his performance?
Mike is very good, beaming. We did everything to get him in the best condition with regard to his injuries. Mike is strong, he feels strong. He had to make two stops but so much the better. He’s there, he’s a leader for the defense and we’ll need Mike at that level.”
