This season will hold a special place in the big book of the history of the Blues. Long and trying, it saw the French team come up against Argentina and the final step of the first Winter World Cup, then move on to qualifying for Euro 2024. And the 2022-2023 financial year will end by a paradox: before going on vacation, the men of Didier Deschamps will have the right, Monday, June 19, to a beautiful popular festival… with the air of a trap.
On the lawn of a sold-out Stade de France, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates will face Greece in the qualifiers for the European Nations Championship, which will be played in Germany in the summer of 2024. for them to sign a full card, after their victories against the Netherlands (4-0), the Republic of Ireland (1-0) and, Friday June 16, Gibraltar (3-0). But, before this match against their group B dolphins, the Blues do not seem to be in the best mood, they who made a dull and unfinished copy against Gibraltar.
Armband on his arm, Mbappé notably experienced great difficulty in making differences, despite a goal scored from the penalty spot. The PSG striker has especially distinguished himself in recent days by his letter sent to the management of his club, in which he announced his desire not to extend his contract beyond the 2023-2024 season. It did not take much more to revive the rumor machine around the star of the Blues, the most persistent of which sends him to Spain to play for Real Madrid.
If Mbappé assures that “staying at PSG is [sa] only option at the moment », the names of other executives of the Blues also come up regularly in the little music of the transfer window. The Parisian club would thus insistently target Antoine Griezmann, but the Atlético Madrid striker told TF1 on Sunday of his desire to stay with the Colchoneros to win his first Spanish championship. “I’m good at Atlético. There will be no change” this summer, the 32-year-old explained.
June background
Mike Maignan, Benjamin Pavard, Adrien Rabiot, Randal Kolo Muani, Khéphren and Marcus Thuram, Youssouf Fofana… Here is a small overview of the other regulars of the Blues who could evolve in a new club in September. Summer periods without international competition are often conducive to movement among football stars. Inappropriate to prepare for Monday’s meeting in the best possible way. “Greece will be a better opponent [que Gibraltar]she will not be content to defend”, warned Didier Deschamps – anxious to refocus the news on the realities on the ground – in the program “Téléfoot” on TF1, Sunday.
The coach of the Blues is, meanwhile, assured of his future, after having extended his lease on the Clairefontaine side until 2026. But he knows the dangers of the June meetings for having paid a high price since the start of his mandate, in 2012. In 2022, his players had not won any of their last four games of the season, losing in particular against Croatia and Denmark. They had also been defeated by Turkey in 2019, or Sweden in 2017. Despite the prospect of playing the Euro, this qualifying phase meeting against Greece has less stakes and excitement than the idea of playing a World Cup, or even the final stages of a League of Nations, like the one won in October 2021.
However, a defeat Monday evening at the Stade de France could somewhat spoil the upcoming holidays of the Blues, and above all complicate their return. In this scenario, the Greeks would come level with the French in the standings, while the Dutch lie in ambush in third place (the top two from each group of five teams qualify). A three-way match with an unlikely conclusion would then take shape, which Dayot Upamecano does not want to hear about. “We won’t be at the Euros if we win against Greece, but we will be on the right track”summarizes the French defender, who will undoubtedly return to the starting XI on Monday, after missing the match against Gibraltar through injury.
To limit the risks of a new mishap, “DD” should for the rest align its standard team, and in particular establish on the right wing Kingsley Coman, the most prominent striker during the victory in Portugal, against Gibraltar.