2026-06-30 08:57:57
Didier Deschamps wants France to maintain their attacking approach at the World Cup.
Les Bleus take on Sweden in their last 32 tie in New Jersey on Tuesday (30.06.26) and the coach is keen for his team to keep up the attacking menace that saw them net 10 goals in three group stage victories.
Deschamps said: “We’ve been labelled as favourites before and, after what we did in the last three matches, that hasn’t gone away. But it’s back to square one now. We’re preparing for a competition within the competition. We have to face a team who have nothing to lose and can give us some problems. We are confident, not overconfident, but in terms of intentions we will look to continue what we managed in the group.
“We scored 10 goals in the group stage and we could have scored more. We did concede too many goalscoring opportunities too and I imagine some will wonder: can we manage like this? But we did so four years ago and other teams are doing the same. When we have the ball we don’t have a problem, when we don’t have possession we’re going to have to be efficient. But we have a capacity to generate danger, which is a strength, and I want us to keep it.”
Deschamps has returned to the France camp after being granted compassionate leave following the death of his mother and midfielder Adrien Rabiot says the players want to give the former Les Bleus captain – who is leaving the job at the end of the tournament – “something to rejoice over” following his sad personal loss.
He said: “When he announced the passing of his mother … it was a shock.
“I don’t think it’s so easy to have to grieve in these conditions, but this is football, we have the World Cup and it’s the way it is. He came back with willpower to go as far as possible. We are united, we know what he’s going through, and we will try to give him something to rejoice over, it’s the least we can do.”
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