Ahead of France's Round of 32 clash with Sweden, coach Didier Deschamps discusses managing the team's 'favourites' tag and the pressure of knockout stages, emphasizing there are 'no second chances' but they will play without nerves.
Ahead of his side's FIFA World Cup round of 32 match against Sweden, France coach Didier Deschamps spoke on blocking out the noise regarding his team's status as tournament favourites and being able to hold nerves despite their being "no second chances".
France has won all three of their group stage games (9 points) for the first time since the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which they went on to win. An excellent attack led by captain Kylian Mbappe and 2025 Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele, and all-round excellence displayed by the two-time champions have made them favourites to add a third star on their jersey.
"Even before the tournament, we were among the favourites. Based on how we have played in our three matches [three wins], I do not think that opinion has changed. Our goal is to stay confident. Now, we are going into a new phase. Even though we have never taken nine points from the group stage, it does not give us any extra advantage," Deschamps said, as quoted by FIFA.
Learning from past experiences
While the midfielder Adrien Rabiot admitted that the team sees and hears what is being said about them, they try to stay "focused, blocking out the noise".
"I think we have done that well so far because we could easily have relaxed. For example, when we played Iraq (3-0), people said there would be a huge gap between the two teams, and that wasn't the case. We have worked hard, prepared thoroughly for every match, and we have taken each of them seriously," he added.
Deschamps, who has been in charge of France since 2012, has a lot of experience to draw on, having won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, emerging as runners-up four years later and also having a UEFA Nations League bronze. However, in between all this, a low point was the failure to make it past the round of 16 in Euro 2020, failing to them on penalties. Rabiot, who featured in that clash, spoke on this experience as "valuable", and how "it is important for those who were there to share them with the rest of the group."
"Those experiences are valuable, and it's important for those who were there to share them with the rest of the group," said the 31-year-old Rabiot, who played the entire match against Switzerland. "As that Switzerland game showed, you've got to stay alert. That is why I have said we take every match extremely seriously and should not let up. I am not saying that was necessarily the case against Switzerland, but there may have been moments of complacency during that match, and ultimately we paid the price," he added.
'No second chances'
The knockout stages are a familiar territory for Deschamps-managed France, and this match will be their 19th since the 57-year-old took charge back in 2012, with no other European nation having played as many knockout matches since that period.
Deschamps said that there are "no second chances, but that does not mean they play with nerves or hold back".
"It is part of the game, and the players compete to win and know that there are no second chances. With their clubs, there are qualification phases where you still have a safety net. Here, there is not one. It can require a different approach, but this is what we came for, and now we are here. The next step is to go out and win," he signed off.
(ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)