France team: Mbappé ticked "all the boxes" to be captain, justifies Didier Deschamps

Europe 1 with AFP 20:36 p.m., March 21, 2023

The coach of the Blues Didier Deschamps has decided. Kylian Mbappé will be the new captain of the France team. The France coach made his choice based on "internal logic" after the international retirement of Hugo Lloris and Raphael Varane, former captain and vice-captain, he said. "It's also in line with what happens on the ground, internally. And what I expect during this internship and in the future," he continued.

At 24, "Kylian ticks all the boxes to have that extra responsibility. But on the other hand, it doesn't go against Antoine (Griezmann) who has always been an important player," Deschamps said. From the top of his 117 caps, Griezmann could claim the armband. According to some specialized media, the Atlético Madrid player would have had difficulty accepting Deschamps' decision. "He will also have a responsibility as vice-captain, with other players certainly to make the link, to be unifying in the group," detailed the coach.

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"Legitimacy"

According to him, "Kylian and Antoine could be captains of each other... That's why I preferred to discuss it with the players, if one or the other had said that it was something that might not suit him and that it was perhaps not a good thing for the group. The technician reiterated that "legitimacy" was the "indispensable" criterion in his eyes to be a candidate for the armband. He also mentioned "this driving aspect, unifying in the group, with younger, not so young, certain external obligations also which are more and more important".

Finally, Deschamps acknowledged that his choice was partly made before the start of the rally. "I already had my idea in mind before having Monday's exchanges" with the main stakeholders, he said.