It's a safe bet that the atmosphere is electric Monday, October 14 in Saint-Denis, for the shock France - Turkey (20:45, Paris time), with a ticket for the Euro-2020 to compost and a revenge to take for the Blues, in a stadium heated by Turkish fans and a tense diplomatic context.

In the field, the duel is announced intense between two nations close to the qualification to the Euro-2020. France will have its ticket in hand if it wins Monday, even before the last two days, but also in case of a draw or even defeat if his pursuers stall.

But the warm reunion between the two group H coleaders, four months after the French sank into the fury of Konya (2-0 defeat), will be tinged with a heavy political touch.

Strong diplomatic tensions have indeed emerged since the outbreak on Wednesday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of an offensive against the Kurds of Syria, sharply condemned by the governments of many countries, including France.

On Saturday, the French government announced that it will suspend its arms sales to Ankara, denouncing the "unilateral offensive" by Turkish forces that "calls into question the security and stabilization efforts of the global coalition against Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the state group). Islamic, Ed.) ".

A reinforced security device

At the Stade de France on Monday, the Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports and the ambassador, who was convened last Thursday at the Quai d'Orsay, will be in official tribune. The presence of Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is not confirmed.

It is in this context that a tide of Turkish fans is expected in Saint-Denis. They will be 3,800 in the visitor park, of which all tickets have been sold, according to the French Federation, and certainly much more elsewhere, among the 78,000 spectators announced in total.

"It will be a complicated match in a stadium that will be quite divided between the French and the Turks," said Steve Mandanda, OM goalkeeper, Friday in Iceland (1-0) and certainly on Monday.

The memory of the last France-Turkey, in 2009 in Lyon, also prompted the Paris police headquarters to establish a "general security system to prevent disturbances to public order before, during and after the meeting". The police force will be reinforced for this game ranked at risk by the State.

Ten years ago, the visiting fans had disrupted the friendly match won by Karim Benzema's team (1-0), interrupted a few minutes after the throwing of projectiles and smoke on the lawn of the Gerland stadium.

"We were eaten there"

Monday, the clash at the top of Group H promises in any case to be engaged, after the slap suffered in June by the world champions in Konya.

"To set the record straight, we want to win this game, but also because we were eaten there, in front of our audience and with the challenge that the we know, to make a big game, "said Olivier Giroud Friday from Reykjavik.

The team will have to "show another face" to erase the memory of the first leg, continued in unison Mandanda and Clement Lenglet, yet not mobilized in Turkey.

"There will be a spirit of revenge, but the most important thing is to work on ourselves, we know we have a good group," timed Corentin Tolisso.

To build his eleven incumbents, Didier Deschamps will examine the state of form of those who played in Iceland, starting with that of Giroud whose ability to chain two matches questions, while he almost no longer plays club.

The coach could also revive N'Golo Kanté and Lucas Hernandez. The midfielder from Chelsea threw in the towel just before kick-off in Iceland, embarrassed to a thigh. The defender was spared after the passing of arms between the Federation and his club, Bayern Munich, "irritated" by his summons despite a recalcitrant knee.

"I considered that he was not in the best psychological arrangements for a match where there would be many duels," revealed Didier Deschamps after the victory in Iceland. Against Turkey, with or without the "warrior" Hernandez, it will be necessary whatever happens to have the solid nerves.

With AFP