The coach of the France team will unveil his list for Euro 2024 on May 16, without it being known at the moment whether UEFA will limit the selections to 23 or 26 players.
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The rules of the game are not yet known, but Didier Deschamps is ready. While UEFA has not yet ruled on the number of players per selection for the Euro (23 as tradition dictates, or 26 as has been done since the Covid-19 pandemic), the coach of the Blues is ready to ‘s’adapt“, he assures in an interview with AFP where he explains weighing the pros and cons in relation to a list of 23.
“If I take 26 players, it is because I will consider that it is useful for the French team. Adapting is my key word. I will therefore adapt to the decisions taken and to ‘other parameters’, explains the technician, referring to a meeting where a narrow majority of national coaches spoke in favor of an extension to 26 players. UEFA has yet to ratify this decision.
“I am not against 24, 25 or 26 players. We exchanged our points of view during the UEFA seminar with the other coaches. Those who advocated maintaining 23 put forward admissible arguments like those who wanted a move to 26 .”
Didier Deschampsto AFP
But “Statistics show that on average, in a major competition, four players do not play at all and two or three play ten minutes, maximum. This is an average for all national teams, not just Franceadds Didier Deschamps. I spoke about it with the coach of Argentina who won the Copa America at 26 [Lionel Scaloni]. He told me : ‘Never again, even if I won, never again at 26.’“
Barcola called for the first time?
“Going to 26 just to fill boxes doesn’t interest me. I’m also not going to be smart and take 23 players and then find myself in difficulty because I didn’t take enoughadds Deschamps. Taking three additional players has implications for logistics and management, unless we are allowed eight changes.”
Established after Covid-19 to protect the players’ bodies, the lists of 26 players make it possible to better manage fatigue, notably with intense preparations, and two friendly matches for the Blues. “Ona the obligation, due to the contracts signed by UEFA with the broadcasters, to play two friendly matches. Otherwise I would have only scheduled one.”slips Didier Deschamps.
“We will recover the players as they will be on an athletic level, on a psychological level too. If some are in the Champions League final, winners or losers, we will have to switch again…”
Didier Deschampsto AFP
A list expanded to 26 players would also allow Didier Deschamps to try things, for example by calling for the first time Bradley Barcola, sparkling with PSG who faces Dormtund on Wednesday in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League. “VSIt’s not because I’m not used to calling up players in the final phase that I haven’t selected before that I’m going to deprive myself of it. I don’t work with these types of rules.”warns Didier Deschamps.
The coach adds: “In March, Moussa Diaby was present. He had been with us before and was doing some interesting things with Aston Villa. This was also the case for Bradley with PSG but it was more recent and required confirmation. Since March, he has confirmed his good intentions. But we don’t discover it either. We have followed him closely since his debut at the highest level with Lyon. End of suspense on May 16.