DIDIER DESCHAMPS
Have you already got a good idea of your 23-man squad for the Euros? You’ve been drawn in the good old “group of death” alongside Germany, Portugal and Hungary. What do you make of that?
group of the six. We know these teams’ qualities and we’ve played against them a lot recently. But, then again, it’s no easier for them. They won’t be delighted at the prospect of facing us either, so we’ll have to be ready from the start, because every point counts in the group stage. I already know roughly 20 of the players going to Euro 2020. If there aren’t any injuries or real drop-offs in form, then the majority of my squad is selected.
Many people consider France the tournament favourites. Do you agree?
These Euros are really important for us, and because we became world champions and have the results we had last year, then we have to accept that we’re considered favourites. But we’re not thinking about who the favourites are or not. We just We definitely could have had a nicer draw rather than being with two big nations in Portugal and Germany, and in the toughest
need to take every game as it comes and try our best to win.
How do you feel about potentially playing in empty stadiums?
The silence that you get in these empty stadiums is horrible. The essence of sport and football is emotion, and sharing that feeling with the fans. There was a short period where we had a few fans in and it was better than nothing, but it was still really tough. There is one single advantage in the situation – even though I’d happily give that advantage up – and that’s the fact that at least all my players can hear me when I’m on the touchline!
And what impact do you think the strange situation will have on the performance of your players?
The players find themselves playing with no crowds every three days. In sport, what enables you to go above and beyond is the adrenaline. But it’s so hard to maintain that adrenaline when you’re playing behind closed doors. I feel for the players, but it’s better than nothing at all.
How do you rate France’s chances of lifting the trophy this summer?
I think some countries are probably scared of us, because we’re one of the best nations in the tournament. But the most important part is to respect every opponent, because you can never take anything for granted in these big games. So we’re confident, but there are other dangerous teams. Portugal are a really great side and Germany are transitioning well. Whenever we go into a tournament I always tell my players that we want to go all the way, so that’s our goal.