Jules Koundé emerges as a key figure for France. He accumulated 36 caps with the national team, and on his 26th birthday, he received praise from teammate Dayot Upamecano.
Both players are part of France’s defensive line. Koundé also plays as a right-back for the ‘Blues’, while Upamecano occupies a pivotal central position in defence. This setup has produced impressive results for Didier Deschamps, who came close to winning back-to-back World Cup titles after reaching the final against Argentina in Qatar in 2022, decided on penalties.
Bayern Munich’s Upamecano recalled: “I faced him in the Champions League. I have confidence in him, and I hope he continues on this path. He is also a leader because he acquires a lot of skills. I wish him all the best,” referring to a recent match between Barcelona and the Bavarians.
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The central defender made the remarks during a press conference which focused largely on the absence of Kylian Mbappé, who was omitted from this selection by Deschamps.
Upamecano defended the Real Madrid player, calling him “a great player and a friend too. I know what he is capable of. Like I said, I hope he comes back. I hope he will regain the captain’s armband.”
The player considers Mbappé’s break to be completely natural and refrained from making further comments: “I mentioned at the start of the season that there are a lot of games and that we are human beings. Mental health is crucial for us footballers. I won’t go into details. He is our captain; I hope to see him back very soon because he is very important for us.
Upamecano pleaded for his teammate during a difficult period for Kylian, both at Real Madrid, where he is struggling to find his level, and with the national team. “We must not forget what he did for the France team. I hope to see him come back very soon. We must not forget that he is our captain,” he insisted.
France has two matches coming up in the UEFA Nations League, Thursday against Israel, amid concerns over recent incidents in Amsterdam, and Sunday against Italy. Everything suggests that the Italians and the French will fight for first place in the group during this match.
