A sad and tasteless draw, quite unworthy of a semi-finalist of the Euro or a last finalist of the 2022 World Cup. This Thursday evening at the Stade de France, the Blues conceded the sharing of points ( 0-0) against Israel in the Nations League, this opponent’s first point in this qualifying group. After the meeting, Didier Deschamps, the national coach, came to take stock of this bitter evening.
Do you grant extenuating circumstances to your team due to the context?
DIDIER DESCHAMPS. We are not going to grant extenuating circumstances. We knew what to expect. We could have done more against a grouped opponent. We didn’t have the efficiency. Our first period was a little too quiet. We took too long in the forward play. I’m not going to be satisfied with what we did. We should have won anyway. We could have done better.
Are you satisfied with the investment of young players who have few caps?
It is through playing time that there are levels to reach. I look from a collective point of view, not an individual. This must be useful to them. If they were great right away…
Warren Zaire-Emery was higher on the pitch than at PSG. For what ?
He is used to projecting himself with his club. It was support for Kolo Muani against a low block. He has the volume and intelligence, he almost scored. Warren has this quality of being able to be impactful in the opponent’s last thirty meters. He has shooting and passing qualities too.
The first period was sluggish. Did you shake your players at halftime?
I told them, yes. This was not what was planned. We took too long to accelerate and get into rhythm. We haven’t done it often enough. We started to do it in the second half.
Do you want a turnover in Italy where first place remains accessible with a three-goal gap?
I don’t know. Even if we had won tonight, there would have been changes. I have to take stock and wait for the last training session on Saturday. In three days, it’s not easy. The players are tired because they come from three weeks to three games per week. The organizations are in great demand even if this is not an excuse, I warn.
Who can become a technical leader in the middle? This is the fourth 0-0 of the year, is this the worst year of your tenure in terms of play?
I’ll let you do your analyses. We went 0-0. I’m not going to settle for not conceding goals. The midfielders have different profiles. Cama (Eduardo Camavinga) is not Warren (Zaire-Emery) and Warren is not N’Golo (Kanté). I don’t see any problem in that regard. They don’t have the same profile.
Aren’t you missing a benchmark match in 2024?
You will remember what you want to remember. It wasn’t easy, yes. In the Nations League, there was the desire to see a lot of players, that does not go in the direction of collective expression. We are qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League and we will want to put in the best possible match in Italy against an opponent who hurt us at the Parc des Princes in September.
Is Kylian Mbappé missing from your team?
Were you asked to ask this question? Leave him alone.
What did you think of this atmosphere?
The context was what it was. We don’t want to relive it. This is not an excuse and we have to deal with it. The Stade de France is used to being full. There, the context was heavy and heavy.
