The start of the World Cup must necessarily awaken special memories in you…
“There is one thing that works and will always work, it’s the magic of the World Cup. It’s unique. It makes you dream, it makes you talk, it makes you think. But the most important thing in my eyes , is that the World Cup unifies. As soon as the first game starts, a whole country will be behind its team. There are very few events that manage to have this impact and this force. It’s extraordinary .”
Personally, what remains of your coronation in 1998?
“Lots of shirts and lots of shoes (laughs). For each match, I took a new pair. There are of course only good memories but what remains is the strength of the World Cup, the strength of our victory, the strength of a group and a nation. In one month, we managed to cause a wave, a communion, which had very rarely happened in France.
Are we world champion for life?
“Yes. That’s good (laughs). We are part of a very closed club, very few countries have been world champions. We feel the impact all the more when we win it at home. It’s for life. When I meet someone in the street, they still say + thank you +. I remember when I was a kid my first images of the World Cup, it was in 1974. I remember from the opening ceremony with the balloons opening, then there were the “papelitos”, the papers that the supporters threw from the stands during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. I grew up with all these images and At some point, you find yourself in the center of the action with this incredible trophy, this Holy Grail. The images of the champions scroll through your head, Maradona, Pelé, Beckenbauer, and you say to yourself: “yes, I am part of the story”.”
The World Cup in Qatar takes place in the middle of the season with very little preparation time for the teams. What could this change?
“For some players, the preparation before the World Cup is usually too long and they can ask a lot of questions. For France, who have injuries and new players, it’s better to have a short preparation. He there won’t be time to gamberger, the players will quickly get to the heart of the matter. Usually at the end of the season, we have to draw on our energy to prepare for the World Cup. There, we arrive in the middle of the season and the players will be in great shape, we will have an incredible competition, which will be very, very competitive and of incredible physical quality. The five changes during the match are also likely to favor the big teams.
How do you judge the chances of France?
“We ask ourselves a lot of questions, there are doubts around the France team and that’s normal. But we’ve never been better than in adversity. It’s the pretext to unite the group very quickly. In 1998, our game and the coach (Aimé Jacquet) were attacked and that united us.”
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Didier Deschamps’ France?
“His strength is his range of attacking players. They are all different from each other and that gives the coach plenty of options. We ask ourselves more questions about defense and midfield. Everyone Deschamps’ job will be to find the right balance. We’re also defending our title and it’s very complicated. We saw it in 2002. There was a flame in 1998 and in 2018 and we will have to find it again. is not as solid as in 2018 but the experience of Deschamps will be very important. In 2018, there was a certain baraka and a certain recklessness but four years later, it is more difficult. The role of the leaders will be essential .”
The World Cup in Qatar is preceded by many controversies. What inspires you?
“The controversies are also there to advance the debate. There have been reactions from the authorities and institutions. Sport has become so important that each political party wants to monopolize a slogan, an idea, a controversy. attention and we must preserve the sport. We are two years away from the Olympic Games in Paris and I am worried about the lack of enthusiasm that this World Cup arouses. I want it to start and that we talk about football .”
Do you regret the boycott calls?
“We cannot call for a boycott, not now. The World Cup was awarded ten years ago and there have been breakthroughs and progress.”