‘FRANCE HAS EVERYTHING TO GO THE DISTANCE AGAIN’
“We are the defending champions and we have played well in the qualifiers,” says former captain
With the rare achievement of scoring in two World Cup finals, Zinedine Zidane is considered to be among the all-time best in the history of football. As the coach of Real Madrid, he had done wonders, winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League crowns. There is a rumour that he might succeed Didier Deschamps as the coach of the French national team after the Qatar World Cup.
⬤ France is considered to be the overwhelming favourites before the World Cup.
They should be. We are the defending champions and we have played well in the qualifiers. I know it is difficult to win back-to-back World Cups since only two teams have done so. Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. There were few teams who came close, but could not. So, it’s tough, but France has everything to go the distance again.
⬤ How difficult will it be for France to cope with the absence of Paul Pogba and N’golo Kante, their two star midfielders?
It will really be tough, but you cannot do anything with a player getting injured. Injuries are part and parcel of a body-contact game like football. You have to be prepared. Moreover, since this year the footballers will go to the World Cup from the club season, it would happen obviously. Missing two footballers like Paul and N’golo will definitely be a problem. But the coach knew it well before and he would be prepared.
⬤ Eduardo Camavinga is an exciting talent, but this will be his first World Cup and his inexperience might be a case of concern.
True, but this will be a great chance for him and for Aurelien Tchouameni, to perform to the best of their abilities. Needless to say, the competition will be the toughest. They need to show character. Challenges bring out the best in you and I am sure these young boys will make everyone proud.
⬤ With Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema, France has the best attacking duo. Can we expect one of them to be the highest scorer?
We should not forget Antoine Griezmann either. At their best, these three form a devastating combination. Defenders will face too many problems to prevent them from scoring. Kylian is in great touch and Karim is the current Ballon D’OR holder. Both of them love to score and assist. We should see a lot of goals from them and their team-mates.
⬤ Hugo Lloris’ form under the bar is another concern?
Hugo was our Cup-winning captain in Russia and continues to instill a belief in the team that he would not concede easily. You have to be at your best to beat him.
⬤ Your thoughts on France’s group league opponents?
Denmark will be a big threat, Australia and Tunisia will challenge the defending champions to the last minute. All the games will be eye-catching and every ball will have to be won. I know it’s a cliche but I want to repeat that there will be no easy games in a World Cup. These days, every team knows their opponent so well through analysis, that winning matches has become more difficult. It’s a fascinating group for France with teams from Asia, Africa and Europe. Presence of a South American team only could have made the group more interesting!
⬤ Having seen European domination for the last 16 years, can the South Americans make a difference this time?
Well, Brazil and Argentina are always big threats. They have strong squads as usual. Yes, they could not do it in recent past. But their forms say, they will do everything to win the Cup in Qatar. However, I still feel European teams will not let go of their dominance in the premier competition that easily. The Latin Americans will have to play a lot better to break the European chain.