Shock in Italy, failure against Israel, motivation of the Blues… The words of Deschamps before Italy-France

How do you deal with the criticism surrounding the Blues’ play after the 0-0 against Israel? Do you still feel the same energy or a form of weariness?
Didier Deschamps : I have my energy, I do everything to continue to maintain the French team at the level it has reached. Criticisms have always been a part of my life, compliments too. This is not what will influence what I have to do so that the selection is as efficient as possible.

What do you think of the Blues’ lack of efficiency?
It’s frustrating after such a match (0-0 against Israel) and so many opportunities not to score. This has happened to us before. Before Israel, we had found good efficiency with 9 goals in 4 matches. It’s annoying to have so many chances and not score.

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The motivation is there, and fortunately, but between having the motivation and transcribing it…

Didier Deschamps

How do you keep a group motivated despite the sequence of matches?
Ibou (Ibrahima Konaté, present in front of the media before him) had the honesty to tell you (the lack of motivation sometimes depending on the calendar). I talk a lot with them, Monday and Tuesday (start of training), they needed to recover. They are coming out of weeks with three matches, during which they must continue. There is physical and psychological fatigue, you always have to win. All the time. Even if they are not to be complained about, there is the travel, the trips… The motivation is there, and fortunately, but between having the motivation and transcribing it, there is the question of physical state. Psychological fatigue is more difficult to quantify.

Against Italy, is this the time to mark the occasion to close this year 2024?
We are 2nd in the Fifa ranking, semi(finalist of the Euro), we are doing a Nations League (2nd in the group ranking and qualified before Sunday evening) where we put players with less experience, and that harms collective expression, but despite everything we are here. You know the situation today, both nations are qualified, we know what we have to do and I told the players. We will achieve the objective or not… But I need to see players with different playing time.

Italy-France, is it a match like any other?
First of all, it always makes me very happy to return to Italy. As a player, it was a special match between those who played in Italy during my time (he played and coached Juventus, Editor’s note). Especially when they are World Cup or European Championship matches. The Italians often won at that time and told us: “ the French you are good but you gain nothing. » It’s a shame and things have changed since then.

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“We don’t want to stop living”: France-Israel, when the football festival takes a back seat

These are not definitive conclusions in relation to a more or less successful match which will make me change my objective.

Didier Deschamps

What balance of power do you expect?
We won’t have the same opposition as Thursday against Israel, that’s for sure. But I want to see as many players on the pitch as possible. These are not definitive conclusions in relation to a more or less successful match which will make me change my objective. These are important passages, it was the time to do it in relation to what awaits us behind (the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup, Editor’s note).

Who will be captain on Sunday?
You will find out tomorrow.

Have you already decided?
Oui.

An index?
No (laughs). I have already decided. A clue? No.

Paul Pogba has terminated his contract with Juventus. Did you talk about it with him?
I saw that he had reached an agreement and I suspected it a little because I talk with him quite often. He will choose what he wants to do. He has permission to train collectively in January to resume in March. It’s another step for him because he can join another club.

At 56 years old and after 12 years at the head of the Blues, are you still learning things? If yes, which ones?
Claudio Ranieri, the future coach of Roma, is 73 years old. He will learn again! Experience helps. I always benefit from discussions and exchanges with players, whether individual or collective. What I did before, I don’t have to do again. The key word is to adapt. I learn every day. When I get up in the morning, I tell myself one thing: I know that I don’t know. Some people stand up and say: I know. This is not my case. I can learn from someone not necessarily older than me. This leads me to think, to change perhaps. The environment is not the same today as it was ten years ago. The requirement is not the same. Let’s make sure we always keep the same tranquility, the same serenity. And what is important: the same desire.

Comments collected at a press conference

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