Teaser and joker at the beginning and at the end of his press conference, Didier Deschamps however went into serious mode this Monday at Clairefontaine, when the first questions fell. Inevitably, they related to the case of Olivier Giroud, back in the France team after an international eclipse which had lasted since the Euro.
“I have always said it, he is one of the selectable players, dropped the sports boss of the Blues, who are preparing the friendly matches against Côte d’Ivoire, Friday in Marseille, and South Africa four days later in Lille. He is here today, it is linked to the injury of Karim Benzema. »
We knew it, but Deschamps repeated it: if the captain of Real Madrid had not experienced problems with his calf, the AC Milan center-forward would not have been selected for this rally. And obviously, the deal is valid for the future. “It’s always the big difficulty when there’s a player who has status and has deserved it, if he doesn’t have the same status and he’s still there, it’s very difficult to live with, even impossible, details Deschamps. It’s human and not specific to Olivier. »
A matter of status and ego
In other words, DD does not plan to retain the second top scorer in the history of the France team (46 goals in 110 selections, five pawns behind Thierry Henry) to applaud Benzema from the bench. No question of adding ego quarrels like before and during the Euro (remember the Mbappé-Giroud bickering) to the already delicate management of a competition.
Relaunched more directly by a colleague on the impossibility of counting both the Madrilenian and the Milanese in the same group, the coach drowned the fish rather than provided a clear answer. But despite his finally substantial playing time and his 11 goals this season in Italy, the former Chelsea player should not harbor any illusions about his future in the France team and his presence at the Qatari World Cup at the end of the year.
“Olivier was part of this very successful French team, which was also part of it without him,” said Deschamps at the start of the press conference. If he wants to catch up with Titi Henry in the Blue legend, Giroud has an interest in piling up the goals against Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa, because the rest remains very uncertain for him.