Approaching the 2022 World Cup as defending champion “dasks for more requirements because we will be expected “, said the captain of the France team Hugo Lloris, Sunday, November 14, in a press conference after the large victory Saturday against Kazakhstan (8-0), synonymous with qualification for Qatar.
What is your assessment of this year?
Hugo Lloris : The coach (Didier Deschamps) summed it up after the game. We achieved two of our three objectives. In top-level sport, it’s hard to win but even more difficult to stay at the top. We saw it at the Euro, even if the competition almost boiled down to ten poorly mastered minutes which led to our elimination.
Even if there were a few moments of doubts in September, we were able to find our values, we were able to transcend ourselves in the most difficult moments, in the League of Nations. This is not trivial. The main word is the satisfaction of a job well done, of this great performance. It is less and less obvious to win on such important scores. We didn’t stop playing, we put them in difficulty, with that killer spirit. It made for a very pleasant game. This does not replace a trophy, but you have to savor these moments, share them with your partners. There is a lot of work done, there are also a lot of expectations from the media and the supporters, so when you meet the objectives you have to take the time to savor.
How to succeed, precisely, to come back “to the top” while defending your title?
It will take a lot of work. There is still a year to continue on our good momentum, to accumulate individual experience. As the title holder, it requires even more requirements because we will be expected. There is a long enough period, the goal will be to continue working with humility, ambition. But when you see the potential of this team, you should not set limits. It is not only performances, it is also the cohesion of a group. And for several years, we have been able to realize that we have experienced great moments as a team. There was this elimination at the Euro, we had to question ourselves and it resulted in a new title. Nothing is ever acquired.
Does the ticket in your pocket make you think about the rest of your international career after 2022, when you are at the end of your contract in June?
It is difficult to project yourself. Even more than before, we take the competitions one after the other. Pleasure is taken in work, in competition, but also in suffering. We have nothing without nothing. To stay as long as possible at the highest level, you have to know how to manage these moments with ups and downs, with questioning. But what feeds us is competition. The goal is the World Cup, the rest we’ll see.
I don’t set myself a limit, but I remain cautious about all of this. I know I am in the last phase of my career. It can be two years, three years, four years … As long as I feel good, I want to continue, while being honest with myself. I’m not necessarily worried (for my contract). My priority has been turned to Spurs, there will certainly be discussions. A club in France? I do not close any doors. I take pleasure in the performance, when there are ambitions, a specific style and expectations of the staff with a work philosophy. I’m still looking for a trophy with Tottenham.