The prolonged absence of Kylian Mbappe from the French team further strengthens the status of Mike Maignan. Not exactly a silent leader, by the way. This evening against Israel (8:45 p.m.) and Sunday in Italy (8:45 p.m.), the Blues goalkeeper will still be one of the executives of Didier Deschamps' group. Listened to and respected.
“He’s someone who speaks a lot”recounts Ibrahima Konaté in Téléfoot, “and not when things are going well, it’s when things are going badly that he’s there and knows how to say things. Well, sometimes he’s very aggressive”concludes the central defender with a burst of laughter. “He tells us: “We are here to defend, not to concede a goal. All that dribbling is not for us”“completes William Saliba, Konaté's competitor in the central hinge. Nicknamed “Magic Mike” during his years in Lille (2015-2021), the native of Cayenne (Guyana) gradually became the “General”. “He has a lot of charisma, he’s a natural leader, when he speaks I can tell you that everyone listens”adds Aurélien Tchouaméni, absent due to injury for this last gathering of the year.
Frictions with Mbappé
Maignan notably thundered in the bowels of the Parc des Princes after the completely failed match against Italy (3-1) in September. He, who only rarely appears in front of microphones, came to the mixed zone to respond to journalists: “I'm having a hard time, the group is having a hard time, we have to get our act together”. The goalkeeper trained at Paris Saint-Germain (2009-2015) had insisted on keeping his words addressed to the group in the locker room, but the content of his speech had leaked to the press. He had criticized some for their lack of involvement. According to the media, he even later opposed captain Kylian Mbappé, there had been friction in particular regarding insufficient defensive withdrawals, in the preparation of the surge against Belgium (2-0).
If Maignan was not a candidate for the interim captaincy, which fell to Tchouaméni in October, the void created by the absence of the star of the team leaves a space to fill. But this evening, the armband will be around the arm of midfielder N'Golo Kanté.
“He can do everything”
Symbolically, the Blues goalkeeper will be able to use his authority during the second match against Italy, in “his” San Siro.
At club and national level, the influence of the 26-cap goalkeeper already extends beyond his penalty area. Steve Mandanda, one of his predecessors, was full of praise for Maignan in March, in Téléfoot. “I love the man, a respectful, true guy, and a huge personality. He is sure of himself, of his strengths. He knows how to do everything, on the line, in the air, on the feet, reading the game “. “I know my potential, I know that I have to stay focused on this path”engaged Maignan, who registered “on the momentum of the goalkeepers of the France team”especially after “Hugo (Lloris) who is a legend. He gave me the right words when he left”. Words that Maignan knows how to weigh.
