EDITORIAL - France-Ukraine, a friendly match at risk and without interest

EDITORIAL

Before rubbing shoulders with Portugal and Croatia in the League of Nations, the Blues have a friendly match to play Wednesday night against Ukraine, at the Stade de France.

But this meeting is eclipsed by the 8 cases of coronavirus on the Ukrainian side, singularly weakening the team coached by former Ballon d'Or Andriy Shevchenko.

For our columnist Virginie Phulpin, this friendly is devoid of any interest.

"Frankly, what is it for, already, this match? Yes, it is in the sacrosanct international calendar already very disturbed this year, so we play it, as Didier Deschamps would say. Certainly. But in the current conditions, I do not Don't really see the point. What will the Ukrainian team look like against the Blues? Even before arriving in France, there were already 12 Ukrainians on the floor: six injured, and six because of the Covid . Two positive players, plus four contact cases. And since Tuesday, and new tests carried out in a French laboratory, two more positives, which are ... two goalkeepers. Consequence: the Ukrainian coach Andreï Shevchenko has no more that one at his disposal.Oh sure, we are still in the nails of UEFA which claims 13 players available including a goalkeeper to maintain the meeting.

But what is it for?

It is not really an opposition worthy of the name for the France team.

Okay, the Blues will be able to make some adjustments, some will have playing time, and that will allow Olivier Giroud to join the closed club of players with 100 selections in the France team.

But is it really worth the effort?

With all these positive cases, there is also Léo Dubois on the French side who has been placed in solitary confinement, there is bound to be a little apprehension.

Why take risks for a match that counts for nothing?

I don't want to see a friendly cluster, me. 

In addition, the France team has real matches to play after Ukraine.

In one week, the Blues will continue two other meetings, against Portugal and Croatia.

But yes, these matches count for the League of Nations.

So I do not see the point of overloading a calendar which is already strong enough while taking risks.

Who will this match bring satisfaction to?

Not with the players, they have other fish to fry, certainly not with their clubs which already do not like international truces too much in normal times and which are even more wary in these times of health crisis, and not to the public either. , since there is none.

Finally if, 1,000 spectators lost in the Stade de France and its 80,000 seats in the rain in the middle of the week.

My mouth is watering.

So we take risks for a meeting without real sporting interest and I find that a shame.

There is only one reason for this game to happen: TV rights.

We always come back to the same observation ... "

Ukraine forced to call ... its goalkeeper trainer.

Ukraine, deprived of three of its four goalkeepers due to the coronavirus, had to call ... on its goalkeeper trainer.

Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, 45, was therefore integrated into the Ukrainian group for the match against the Blues.

Shovkovskiy, 45, has 92 caps for the Ukrainian team, the last in 2012. He will only enter the field if the test of the only goalkeeper still available, Georgiy Bushchan (Dynamo Kiev, 0 caps) proves to be positive or if the latter is injured during the match.