"The Blues 2018, at the heart of the Russian epic" is a dive behind the scenes of the world title of the French football team. Broadcast Tuesday evening on TF1, the documentary has offered several moments of anthology that will remain in the memories.
The Blues had already offered us good memories during this World Cup, the ground to social networks, through improbable vocalizations. The documentary "Les Bleus 2018, at the heart of the Russian epic" gives a new perspective on the scenes of the feat. From Pogba's talks to Deschamps' protective instinct, Griezmann's euphoria or the French-Argentine trigger, to the most memorable moments of the documentary.
Blues among the Blues
The documentary opens with the arrival of the players of the French team at Clairefontaine, their training center, for preparation before departure to Russia. Two moments are particularly revealing of the youth of the players and the renewal orchestrated by the coach.
First, Benjamin Pavard runs down the stairs to his room, enjoying five minutes of flapping to change his shoes that are "from last year , " he says. Then Steven Nzonzi, suitcase in hand, completely lost in the corridors, opens what looks like an emergency exit. "I do not know very well," he says with an embarrassed smile. I have not come on many occasions. "
Two unusual scenes that would have been implausible in 1998, where the chummers jostled in the corridors. Twenty years later, youth took power.
Ping pong and Deschamps blower
Players relax regularly around a ping-pong table during the movie. And, often, doing "spinning", a variant of the multiplayer game that involves running around the table. A practice that irritates the coach of the Blues, who does not hesitate to reprimand the troublemakers Lemar, Mbappé, Sidibé and Mendy.
"I'm going to put some forbidden meanings on you, play ping-pong, do not make the c *** to turn around! He begins, before reprimanding Mendy and Sidibé particularly, returning from injury: "Especially in addition you two want!" Play normally, do not mess, the last time I played that, I lost a calf .
Given the other parts of the players in the documentary, not sure that this advice was listened to. But Didier Deschamps has in any case often taken on this paternal role. Sometimes with a moralistic side, when he makes fun of the discomfited mine of his players after a morning awakening: "the future belongs to those who get up early! He says ironically.
Sometimes with a protective side, when, after severely down his players following the match against Australia, he goes on to ensure: "I will protect you all one by one. But do, do. It's the team, and all, all, for the team . " Reprimands that have borne fruit.
The click of France-Argentina
After a complicated group stage, it is a football giant who stands on the road of the team of France: Argentina Lionel Messi. After a match that will be remembered, the locker room explodes with joy. Paul Pogba, who had motivated his partners before the party with a muscular talk, launched the songs. From the staff to the players, there seems to be a click.
From now on, the Bleus look further. They overthrew Argentina after being led (for the first and only time of the World Cup) and they now believe in their chances, even if they refrain from saying it too much.
Matuidi suspended but in the heads
The next match, against Uruguay, is perhaps the most successful game of the Blues in this world. Yet, they argue without one of their executives, Blaise Matuidi. The Turin player, who is intimately engaged on his fear of failure in half of the documentary, is suspended after two yellow cards.
But Paul Pogba does not fail to remind his teammates: if they needed extra motivation, the absence of their midfielder must be one.
"We have to beat the best to be the best!"
Appointment tonight at 21:00 for "Les Bleus 2018: in the heart of the Russian epic": you will be there to live from the inside the extraordinary adventure experienced by the players of the @ equipedefrance to become # ChampionDuMonde2018 ? pic.twitter.com/d52sO8kJSB
"We'll meet on July 15th. All together. All together, he asserts. Today Blaise is on the bench, he is disgusted. He wants to play more than anyone else on the field. [...] It's for guys like that we're going to fight today. "
Victory 2-0 at the end of a match perfectly mastered: the Blues are heading to the semifinal.
Umtiti's Perfume of Victory
Faced with Belgium, the French spend a delicate first period and rely on their defensive strength to repel the assaults of the Red Devils. At half-time, the atmosphere is tense in the locker room. After a chat less toned than usual Didier Deschamps, where the eyes meet, air closed, players are preparing to return to the lawn exchanging some advice.
Samuel Umtiti, next to the camera, puts on his jersey and grabs his perfume. Speaking to the cameraman, he sprinkles his chest: "It's the perfume of victory that" . 6 minutes after the restart, he scored the only goal of the meeting, corner, and qualifies France for the final of the World Cup.
Back in the locker room, he said, showing his perfume: "That one? It is magic! We will go very far .
Griezmann and "the most beautiful victories"
In the same locker room, Antoine Griezmann was thrilled with the "cholesque" victory, in reference to the nickname of Diego Simeone, "El Cholo", the coach of his Atlético Madrid club known for his impervious defense.
"If we did not play like Atlético [...] All behind, we tighten the lines, a goal on set kick, and we close the house! [...] that's the victories I love! He exclaims, euphoric.
Comments that may not please the Belgians and Thibaut Courtois, bitter after their defeat.
Pogba, the boss
From end to end in the competition, Paul Pogba will have donned the boss costume of this team from France, speaking before all the decisive matches. At the moment of France-Argentina, with a muscular chat: "Messi, or not Messi, I fight the c *******, we do not go home, we come here to win this World Cup. Before the match between France and Uruguay, as recalled above, to remind his "family" to think of absentees.
But also before the semi-final, where this temporary big brother delivers one of the cults of the documentary: "We can write history. We just have the pen. Now you have to write on the ground guys. "
And, finally, before the final. With, always, this desire to mark history. "I do not know how many matches we have made in our career, in our lives. We lost a final, we still have it in the head [...]. Today, we are not going to let a team take what is ours. I want this evening, we are in the memory of all the French. "
Deschamps has the word of the end
Architect of this victory, third man to have won the World Cup as a player and coach, Didier Deschamps will have a full-fledged place in the history of French football. The conclusion comes naturally to him. Sitting in the locker room, after the final, the World Cup on the knees, surrounded by his players as a storyteller by children, the voice seized by emotion, the coach said:
"Each of you, in the days, weeks, months, years, you will probably take different routes. But you will be bound to you in relation to this cut-off guys . "
"And the second thing that concerns you, the players, and all the staff is that from tonight you're not the same guys anymore. You know why ? Because ... world champions! He exclaims, as the locker room explodes again with joy.