Sunday evening in Doha, when he presented himself first to the journalists, with a calm and relaxed face, Adrien Rabiot defended the idea of a newfound serenity in the France team. The early elimination against Switzerland at Euro 2021 and the doubts linked to the numerous injuries before leaving for Qatar seem a long way off. With his teammates, the ponytail midfielder, who has spared no effort since the start of the World Cup, never really trembled during the victory (3-1) of the Blues against Poland in 8are of the World Cup final.
Calm like Baptiste, Rabiot savors his tournament and that of his team. “We were aware that we had to do more, but we had no doubtshe explains. We saw that by accelerating, we could [les Polonais] easily get in trouble. Throughout the game, we were calm. We mastered our subject, even more so in the second half. »
At 27, the former Titi of Paris Saint-Germain, a club he joined at the age of 15, has established himself as a rare player. With the reinforcement of Antoine Griezmann, he gives balance to the France team and to the game project, more daring than in the past, put in place by Didier Deschamps. Through his activity, once again hair-raising against the Poles, Rabiot offers attacking players the freedom they need. One of them particularly benefits from it, Kylian Mbappé, author of a second double in Qatar on Sunday, and now top scorer of the tournament.
“He knows and feels where he should be”
The day before this 8e of the final, Didier Deschamps – a former stabilizing midfielder, too, although in a different style – highlighted the importance of Rabiot for the collective: “Today is a complete environment. Whether lower or higher [sur le terrain], he defines himself, I take this formula and I find that it sticks perfectly to his skin, like a “balance player”. »
Author of the equalizer and decisive passer on the second goal of the Blues in their first match against Australia, Adrien Rabiot made himself indispensable. “He is able to perform defensively and bring danger offensively.continues the coach. He has that intelligence [de positionnement] compared to the players who are around [de lui], I don’t need to tell him three or four times, he knows and feels where he needs to be. Good for us that he is at this level. »
Imperturbable, the player of Juventus Turin displays the same lucidity to comment on his performances. “I felt serene [contre la Pologne], in the continuity of my first matches. I do what the coach asks me to do. I still ran a lot (…). I feel on my feet. »
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