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On Monday, the French national team will play the first match at the 17th European Football Championship. Sports talks about one of the main favorites of Euro 2024, introduces the coach and the main stars of the “tricolor”, and also shares expectations from the performance of the bright team on the fields of Germany.
Undefeated in the qualifying
In qualifying, the French were in Group B, where they played the Netherlands, Greece, Ireland and Gibraltar. And they tore through their opponents — seven wins and a draw, the goal difference was 29-3. As we see, Mbappe, who scored nine goals, and the company simply did not notice the opposition.
Let's note two matches: the home defeat of the Netherlands (4:0) and the humiliation of the poor guys from Gibraltar. Fourteen unanswered goals and two records at once. The French won the biggest victory in their history, and also set a record for the qualifying tournaments of the European Championships. jpg» />
Final application
- Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Mick Maignan (Milan), Brice Samba (Lance).
- Defenders: Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Jonathan Kloss (Marseille), Benjamin Pavard (Inter, Italy), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), William Saliba (Arsenal), Deotchankul Upamecano (Bayern) , Theo Hernandez (Milan), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid).
- Midfielders: Youssouf Fofana (Monaco) , Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG), Aurélien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga (both Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético), N'Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad) ).
- Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani (all PSG), Kingsley Coman (Bayern), Olivier Giroud (Los Angeles), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Marcus Thuram (Inter).
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Contract with coach until 2026. Will he leave earlier?
Despite rumors about Zinedine Zidane's dismissal and joining the national team, Didier Deschamps has been leading the French for the 12th year. Successfully? Perhaps. Victories at the 2018 World Cup and the Nations League, plus silver medals at home Euro 2016 and the Qatar World Cup. And if we add here the fact that the Frenchman won as a player at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 (the last victory of the “tricolor” at the Old World Championship), then we get the status of an unconditional legend of world football.
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However, Deschamps must now make a serious effort to retain his post. Because the third tournament in a row without a trophy is unlikely to please the leaders of French football… The name of Zidane, who continues to rest after an enchanting work at Real, still flashes in the media, so the head coach has no room for error.
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World champions will continue to dust
Antoine Griezmann, despite the dissatisfaction due to the lack of a captain's armband on his sleeve, is in the ranks and is heading to his third Euro. Also in the final application was a place for N'Golo Kante, which surprised the fans. After all, the modest fellow from the Saudi Al-Ittihad is far from his former level, and injuries are causing problems for the 33-year-old midfielder.
Both legends have not yet made statements about their future in the national team. But Olivier Giroud, who moved overseas, made a decision: after Euro 2024, the best scorer in the history of the “tricolors” will leave the national team to “make way for young people.”
We also note in the star lineup the trio of Mendy — Tchouameni — Camavinga, which last season became winners of the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid.
Who is the new captain?
The main star of the team, who moved to Real Madrid, is Kylian Mbappe. Having finally escaped from the boring PSG, the Frenchman fulfilled his childhood dream — the unstoppable forward is going to Euro 2024 as a football player for the Royal Club. This means, with an excellent attitude, to return to France the title of the strongest team in Europe after 24 years.
If everything works out perfectly and Mbappe does indeed add the only missing trophy at international level to his collection, then his presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu as a Los Blancos player (could take place on July 16, two days after the end of the Euros) will become even more epic.
Young record holder
Eduard Camavinga is only 21 years old, but he is already a Champions League winner with Real Madrid and a finalist in the Qatar World Cup. But still, the main young talent of the team is 18-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery from PSG. The head coach of the Parisians, Luis Enrique, cannot get enough of him, and Deschamps encourages the guy with a call to the first major tournament as part of the national team. It is not surprising that the French champion has been nominated for the title of best young player of 2024 according to the Globe Soccer Awards.
Let's remember the historic match with Gibraltar : The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder scored against the dwarf country in the 16th minute and became the youngest goal scorer in the history of the French national team in official matches. At that time, Zaire-Emery was 17 years 8 months 10 days — the achievement of Maurice Gostige, established in 1914, had fallen.
Learn from the mistakes of 2021
An excellent squad with the right balance of experience and youth, the absence of conflicts like at the previous Euro, and a new stage in the career of leader Mbappe, undoubtedly allow France to count on a long-awaited triumph at the European championship. It is no coincidence that the statistical portal Opta named the probability of France winning the Euro second after the British.
The French were lucky with the group, they are clear favorites there — now the main thing is to avoid injuries to the leaders and prevent a misfire, like in the quarterfinals of Euro 2020, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Then Deschamps' team could not hold on to the victory over Switzerland, leading 3:1, and eventually lost in a penalty shootout.
Match schedule
June 17 (Monday):
- 22:00*/Austria — France.
June 21 ( Friday):
- 22:00/Netherlands — France .
June 25 (Tuesday):
19:00/France — Poland.
* hereinafter — Moscow time.