The Rennes goalkeeper with 35 caps announced on Saturday that he was ending his adventure with the national team at the age of 37.
After Hugo Lloris, it is the turn of another executive of the France team to bow out. Steve Mandanda, 37 years old 35 selections between 2008 and 2022 announced this Saturday at the start of the afternoon the end of his selection career. “Today, for me the France team stops there“said the player at a press conference, referring to”a lot of pride and emotion“.
“I lived great moments with the France team, it was a privilege and a joy for me to spend all these moments. But at 37 I think it’s the right time“, he added, explaining that “young people arrived behind with a lot of qualities“.
Read alsoHugo Lloris, the farewell to the Blues of a very discreet hero
The titular position promised to Mike Maignan
The end of a 14-year adventure for the Rennes goalkeeper who started his adventure with the Blues on May 27, 2008 replacing Sébastien Frey at half-time in a friendly match against Ecuador. Finalist of the 2022 World Cup and the Euro in France in 2016, Steve Mandanda will close this chapter with the most beautiful line there is: that of a winner of the World Cup in 2018. Of the 35 matches played in the tricolor goals , Mandanda honored 21 selections in friendly matches, 12 in the knockout stages and 2 in the final stages.
If the starting position was reserved for Hugo Lloris in recent years and promised to Mike Maignan (27) in the future, the former goalkeeper of Olympique de Marseille was, in the group, a very appreciated relay of Didier Deschamps who often praised his temperament and his unfailing spirit of cohesion, even if the bench was often reserved for him.
SEE ALSO – Steve Mandanda’s best saves with Olympique de Marseille
Olivier Giroud’s turn to announce his end of selection career?
This withdrawal is perhaps not the last for the group of Didier Deschamps. Olivier Giroud (36), is also thinking of saying stop after 11 years in selections but the AC Milan striker, revived with the Blues with the injury of Karim Benzema (who announced his international retirement) may not have said his last word. A final challenge with Euro 2024 in Germany remains a possibility.