“We must not see ourselves more beautiful than we are”, France coach Didier Deschamps told franceinfo on Tuesday, November 15, on the eve of the departure of the Blues for Qatar, where the Football World Cup begins, on Sunday November 20. The coach asks “not thinking about happy tomorrows” and stay focused on the group stage. He also welcomed the announcement of donations from players of the France team to NGOs, which is for him “a good thing”.
franceinfo: This Wednesday, the French team is going to Qatar. Are you in a hurry to be in this World Cup?
Didier Deschamps: The time has come. It seemed far away but the months, the weeks, the days pass quickly. Here we are. After two short days in Clairefontaine, we have this trip this Wednesday evening.
There is a particular climate around this Football World Cup. Isn’t it time football took its place?
It’s better. This is valid before each competition, where there is room for many things. However, when the competition begins, the field resumes its rights. I understand that it interests a lot of people to know what is happening in Qatar. The only truth in sport and in football is the pitch, even if there are other important things. There, there is no time for preparation matches because it is impossible, due to the too short time between the end of the championship matches and the start of the competition. It was not me who chose not to play preparation matches. It’s much better to have two days of recovery.
This World Cup therefore begins on Tuesday for the France team, against Australia. Do you rather have certainties or concerns?
I never have certainties, I never had any. Whoever has certainties in sport and in football, they are quickly swept away. I have convictions, I have all the energy and determination. We did a lot of things upstream with all of my staff in order to anticipate things, so that the players are in the best possible conditions when they arrive in Doha. We have a first objective, it is our first three group matches. Don’t think about happy tomorrows. You have to be pragmatic. We must already continue the competition after our group stage. It starts with the first game against Australia, the first game which is often decisive and very important for the future.
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There is a particular climate around this World Cup. The players of the France team published a press release on Tuesday, November 15 to announce that they will provide financial support to NGOs and associations working for the protection of human rights. Was this decision taken with the staff of the France team?
I was not surprised, I knew they would because I trade with them. It is their decision. I’m not there to tell them what to do, except on the football pitch. We obviously exchanged and I gave them my opinion. However, it is an initiative that comes from them, that they shared together and that they wanted to communicate. This will always lead to interpretation, for good or ill. We will ask them how much they will give and it will not be enough because we always want more. As coach, in any case, I gave them my opinion and I think it’s a good thing even if they are not there for that.
There is also this decision announced by captain Hugo Lloris not to wear the armband in favor of inclusion during the 2022 World Cup. Is this a good thing in your opinion?
You have to put things in context. It’s not specific to the World Cup in Qatar. We did the World Cup in Russia, the one in Brazil. We are in countries that have their laws and rules. We are also and above all under the decisions of Fifa.
You have a few weeks left as reigning world champions. Is this status heavy or extremely inspiring?
It’s wonderful, but it’s a status that leads to more demands. There is also an expectation that is more important. I don’t look behind. What was done was done and we did it very well. The most important thing is what is in front of us with a blank page, always with the same objective, as was already the case in 2014 in Brazil, in 2018 in Russia, which is to go as far as possible. We must not see ourselves more beautiful than we are, stronger than we are. There is a lot of quality also in front. It will take a lot of things and you have to go step by step. I know the first stage and the players know it too, it’s this match on Tuesday against Australia.