Saint-Denis (AFP)
The France team "maintained the level" to beat Sweden with "panache" on Tuesday in the League of Nations in Saint-Denis (4-2), after its success on Saturday in Portugal (1-0), relished the coach Didier Deschamps.
Q: Are you satisfied with your gathering?
A: "There was a great performance against Portugal, repeated tonight against a very catchy opponent. The objective has been reached. We took 16 points out of 18, no team in Europe has done better or will do better even though we had the vice-world champion and the European champion in our group. Everything is not perfect, but I think we have to appreciate what we have been able to do over three months, eight matches, with different systems, different players. We have always been competitive and we still are, we have to savor. Today it was a question of panache, it would not have changed our life (to lose) but I told them that they would be judged on this last match. It's good to end our qualification with panache. We could have put more chances but I'm not going to be choosy. We maintained the level. . "
Q: Did Marcus Thuram succeed in his first steps in Blue?
A: "It's never easy to come for the first time. He is waterproof, he likes it, the more the matches are of the high level the more he likes them. He had playing time, he showed what "He's able to do with the ball, in the percussion. It's good for a first rally, obviously there is a lot of competition but you have to take advantage of the playing time and Marcus did some good things with us."
Q: Are you satisfied with the performance of some struggling managers in the club?
A: "They are top players, they have the mindset. There is a hard core, the executives have an important role. When they are there, it's a bit like a family, they know why They are there, they have this collective force of competitors. They cannot all start but when one seems to score points it is not necessarily another who loses. I have different options, even if tonight Anthony Martial was not available. This is also their merit, there is internal emulation. They have fun together. "
Q: Was Olivier Giroud stung by your choice to put him on the bench on Saturday?
A: "It doesn't work like that with Olivier, the pikes come from outside. Not with me. I discuss, he is aware of the situation. We cannot question what he did, he l "proved this evening. This is a case apart, with him we have the impression that he must always prove himself. We are not talking about a player who has done nothing so far. We are often too unfair with him. It happens to be less good. And besides, Anthony Martial has not lost points, both have won. "
Q: Are you happy to have been able to integrate Kylian Mbappé for this last match?
A: "Everything went well with Kylian, he will come home fresh and available in his club. We did things gradually. It was not possible against Portugal, I had a choice to make but like that 18 days that he has not played, we took the time to warm up for a long time, first indoors and not only from the 46th minute. It's a good comeback for him, he He made a decisive pass. He is enjoying the game again. He was keen on it, it was not possible to play in Portugal, but the medical staff and the physical trainer did a great job to allow him to be cured, to be on the pitch today and available to his club from tomorrow. "
Interview at a press conference
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