Didier Deschamps and his assistant Guy Stéphan will be able to select 26 players for the Euro which starts on June 11, 2021. – FRANCK FIFE / AFP
All the coaches had called for him, all that was needed was the green light from UEFA. It is now official, the teams playing the next Euro (June 11-July 11) will be made up of 26 players, instead of the usual 23. A decision that falls under several imperatives, in this season impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
It will already allow breeders to have more choices to adapt in the event of Covid-19 contamination and quarantine. A larger group will also give the opportunity to rotate more, as players enter the competition after a long season contested without real physical preparation. The measure of the five changes authorized per game, announced at the end of March, also falls within this framework.
However, only 23 players will have to appear on the match sheet “for each meeting”, specifies UEFA. The coaches will be able to adjust this list over the course of the tournament thanks to the three additional players.
Didier Deschamps will unveil his list for the France team on May 18. The Blues’ preparation camp will be held in Clairefontaine from May 26 to June 13, and will be punctuated by two friendly matches, against Wales on June 2 and Bulgaria on June 8.
The France team will leave Clairefontaine on June 14, on the eve of its opening match at the Euro scheduled for June 15 against Germany in Munich. She will remain in Bavaria until the 16th, when she will join Budapest to then face Hungary and Portugal, respectively on June 19 and 23.