The qualification of the French team for the World Cup semi-finals left a Didier Deschamps particularly satisfied. Speaking to the media, the coach emphasized the mental strength of his team, who were able to stick to their game plan despite a missed penalty by Kylian Mbappé and several wasted opportunities in the first half. "This team has unwavering belief. We missed a lot of chances in the first half, but we remained patient, disciplined, and we kept playing our football."
"Kylian is an exemplary captain."
The coach also made a point of defending his captain, who has sometimes been criticized despite his central role in France's run. After missing a penalty, Mbappé opened the scoring with a superb strike before being substituted late in the game. Didier Deschamps didn't hesitate to pay tribute to him. : "Kylian is an exemplary captain. He knew how to react after missing his penalty."
"I am proud of this group."
The coach highlighted the exceptional consistency of the French team since he took over in 2012. This qualification represents their fifth appearance in the semi-finals of a major international tournament during his tenure. : "Since I became coach, this is our fifth semi-final in seven major competitions. I'm proud of this group. They play for each other. They give everything for this jersey."
Warren Zaire-Emery highlighted
The coach made sure to highlight the performance of the younger players in his squad. He specifically mentioned Warren Zaïre-Emery, whose introduction and activity helped maintain France's intensity. Didier Deschamps praised the contribution of his young players, believing they had risen to the occasion perfectly in a high-pressure match.
There's no question of getting carried away.
Despite this convincing qualification, Didier Deschamps refuses any form of overconfidence before the semi-final. : "We mustn't get carried away by euphoria. We still have a long way to go."
France will face the winner of the Spain-Belgium match, which takes place tonight at 21pm. The semi-final will be played on July 14th.
