If the early elimination of the France team in the round of 16 of the Euro dampened the hopes of an entire country, Didier Deschamps' men did not miss everything during this atypical competition.
On the contrary, there is no lack of reasons for rejoicing.
Before tomorrows that sing again?
DECRYPTION
And the European adventure of the France team came to an end with a balmy summer evening on the lawn of the National Arena in Bucharest on Monday.
Led, joined and finally eliminated at the end of the night by an attractive Swiss team, the Blues left prematurely a competition that seemed within their reach, without a big favorite outside of them, world champions with a priori collective strength intact.
The tricolor building has collapsed and with it the certainties of the French in this team.
Is everything to be thrown away after this disillusionment?
Not really.
Europe 1 has listed the reasons for not completely sinking into depression despite this incredible elimination.
Pogba's recital
Among the undeniable reasons for satisfaction (despite the general abatement, it must be said), the services of Paul Pogba during this Euro occupy a prominent place.
Irregular with Manchester United, the tricolor midfielder literally flew over these four matches, with a capital performance especially against Germany and Switzerland.
With, as an early conclusion of a competition contested with envy and inspiration, this sumptuous strike nested in the skylight of Yann Sommer, Monday evening, for the goal of a 3-1 that many had foreseen definitive.
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At 28, "la Pioche" has shown again during this campaign that he was the boss of the tricolor midfield, alongside a blunt Kanté and a not particularly inspired Griezmann.
He will be 29 years old at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022, and nothing suggests a decline in the quality of the silky Mancunian right foot.
Benzema, winning return
He was expected, he replied: recalled at the last
minute
by Didier Deschamps in May, Karim Benzema was able to live up to the pressure that weighed on his shoulders.
With four goals on the clock, in the last two matches, after two first meetings to adjust to official competition, the first since 2015 in Blue.
At the forefront of the attack, "KB9" displayed a conquering face, intelligently adapting to the playing habits of his fellow attackers, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé.
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For him too, 2022 is not so far away, with a status of almost untouchable at Real Madrid.
And it is hard to imagine Didier Deschamps do without again the one he recalled to strengthen the offensive efficiency of his team.
This remains armed to blow up any defensive lock.
For that, it will be necessary to play many matches together, to try combinations, to break in an animation capable of highlighting the qualities of the three French jewels.
Next season, including a Final Four in the League of Nations in the fall, is precisely there for that.
Defensive strength has not completely disappeared
Certainly, the Blues have conceded six goals in four matches (as much as during the entire 2018 World Cup).
Yes, the Nati, which is not a European cador, was able to score three goals for this France team, which is more in a knockout match.
But Hugo Lloris' teammates were not a "strainer" during this Euro.
Evidenced by the defensive strength displayed throughout the match against Germany and for a good part of the match against Portugal.
If many questions are now being asked about the central hinge and the tricolor sides, everything is not to be thrown away, there either.
The collective response after the tactical mistakes
Apart from these two individualities in verve, we must remember from this Euro a certain ability of the players lined up to play very well at times. After the disastrous adaptation to a new system of play in 3-5-2 Monday evening, the Blues got back in the direction of the market by relying on their strengths: high pressing of the opposing team, effective projection on the whole width of the field, very numerous combinations in the last thirty meters to destabilize the defense. This is what the French supporters saw around the hour mark, against Switzerland.
The Nati, like other teams before them, could not, momentarily, cope with this renewed offensive animation. If it then weakened, the France team showed that it always had a response when it was back to the wall. A reason for satisfaction for Didier Deschamps, with whom the president of the Federation, Noël Le Graët, will soon "discuss" with a view to 2022.