Tensions in France squad ahead of Nations League matches
France’s last competitive Soccer games before the World Cup should be a chance for coach Didier Deschamps to test his best team.
But as France prepares to play Austria in the Nations League on Thursday, tension hangs over the defending champion because of ongoing issues off the field.
They concern the French Football Federation president, an injured key player embroiled in an extortion scandal, and striker Kylian Mbappe’s row over image rights.
Oh, and there’s the threat of relegation to the second tier of the Nations League if titleholder France fails against Austria and Group 1 leader Denmark three days later.
Furthermore, Deschamps is without nine injured regulars including longstanding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, midfielder Paul Pogba - who’s mired in an extortion scandal involving his own brother - and star striker Karim Benzema.
It sounded like understatement when Deschamps said “it’s not the calmest atmosphere” when naming his squad last week.
Deschamps took charge in 2012, two years ater France’s fiasco at the World Cup in South
Deschamps is without nine injured regulars including longstanding goalkeeper Lloris, Pogba and star striker Benzema as France prepares to play Austria on Thursday
Africa, where players went on strike at training and embarrassed a watching nation back home.
The current situation is not as bad as that, nor as tense as when Benzema was discarded from the 2016 European Championship squad because of an alleged blackmail role in a sex-tape scandal involving then-team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
But Deschamps nonetheless had to deal with media fuss and distractions this week, ater Mbappe said he’d boycot a photo session with his teammates in a dispute over image rights. Mbappe’s threat came ater the federation had not amended the collective agreement governing rights for the national team before the World Cup.
The federation then changed its stance following discussions involving senior players, FFF president Noel Le Graet, Deschamps, and a marketing manager.
Deschamps may well be very relieved when Thursday night’s match gets underway at Stade de France and he can focus on the field for a couple of hours rather than what’s happening off it.
RECORD CHASER: Benzema’s minor thigh injury has led to Olivier Giroud’s recall and Giroud has a chance both to close in on Thierry Henry’s national scoring record of 51 goals and stake his claim for a place in the World Cup squad.
Giroud is on 48, and his presence could also be a blessing in disguise for Deschamps, who is lacking leaders in his squad with so many key players missing. Midfielder N’golo Kante is another, though he is nursing a minor hamstring injury.
Giroud has become a huge club favorite at AC Milan ater helping it win the Serie A last season and commands huge respect within France’s squad.
So it may not be a surprise if Giroud - who turns 36 this month - is in France’s squad for its opening World Cup match against Australia on Nov.22.
HAZARD’S STRUGGLES AT REAL ARE A CONCERN FOR BELGIUM: Will Eden Hazard’s lack of playing time at Real Madrid drag down Belgium at the World Cup?
This is the question all Belgium fans are asking, and they will get an idea of the answer when their team take on Wales and the Netherlands in the Nations League this week.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez called up the playmaker for the pair of games and said he wants to see him on the pitch, something that has too rarely happened at Madrid.
Since he joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2019, the 31-year-old Hazard has been struggling with injuries, including a broken right foot during his first season that had a lingering effect.
This season, he’s stayed on the bench in four matches and has played a meager total of 158 minutes.
Ater Hazard delivered a scintillating display in a 3-0 win against Celtic this month - including his first Champions League goal since November 2020 - many observers thought the performance would kickstart his season. But Hazard was replaced ater an hour in Madrid’s next Liga match, and has not featured since.
Another source of worry for Belgium is that Hazard has become a Madrid replacement for striker Karim Benzema, with coach Carlo Anceloti using him in a fake No. 9 role.