Netherlands: the Blues begin the new chapter of their history with art and manner

Stade de France (Seine-Saint-Denis), Friday March 24, 90e minute: referee Maurizio Mariani has just whistled a penalty for the Netherlands. Memphis Depay steps forward, then shoots. Mike Maignan pushes the ball away for his big first as number 1 in the nets of the French football team. The attacker volleys back; the goalkeeper catches the ball. Final whistle. The Blues did not shudder when starting this new chapter in their history. Their first match of Euro 2024 qualifiers; their first meeting, too, since December 18, 2022 and the ill-fated World Cup final in Qatar. This Friday, France largely won against the Netherlands (4-0) in front of a full and conquered stadium.

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Less than two minutes after kick-off, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates rocked the Dionysian enclosure. As a symbol, the new captain had just served Antoine Griezmann, this exemplary partner disappointed not to have recovered the armband left vacant by the international retirement of Hugo Lloris, for the first goal of this new era (1-0).

Five minutes later, Dayot Upamecano took advantage of a scramble by the Dutch defense after a free kick from the same Griezmann to double the score (2-0). Before Mbappé also goes there, from his contribution to the 21e (3-0). A shot hailed by “Mbappe” loud from the audience, followed by what looked like a loose adaptation of the Connemara Lakes by Michel Sardou, in the finest musical tradition of the stands.

Double from Mbappé

The new captain scored twice in the 88e (4-0), accompanied by the same soundtrack. It will only change tone when the board shows a timing of 49 minutes and three seconds. In reference to the 49.3 used by the government to pass the pension reform, whistles were then heard and a few dozen supporters chanted for a few seconds “Macron, resign! », taken up above all by the “ultras”. Nothing that does not disturb the concentration of the Blues.

A perfect evening? “Perfect, I don’t know, but a very nice evening”summed up coach Didier Deschamps at a press conference, happy that his players managed to broadcast the “good vibes” he had perceived in the group at the start of the rally on Monday.

Apart from a brief appearance at Place de la Concorde in Paris, having just returned from the emirate, his men had not had the opportunity to commune with their supporters. This Friday, they caught up. Olivier Giroud, author of a great World Cup, can attest to this based on the noise level that accompanied his entry into play in the 76e minute and the – entirely personal – version of Hey Jude of the Beatles sung by Les Irrésistibles français, to understand the “ultras” of the Blues. It was certainly not the four hours of celebration, with a lot of concerts, fireworks and replays of the Qatari epic, which had preceded the friendly match between the Argentinian world champions and Panama, the day before in Buenos Aires, but who cares?

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