From our Special Envoy in Doha,
“You who enter here, abandon all hope”, was the inscription which welcomed the damned into theHell of Dante, and this is what awaits the French team in the semi-final against Morocco on Wednesday. Indeed, in the majestic Al-Bayt stadium, in Al-Khor, gateway to part of the Qatari desert, the Blues will be in “hostile” land in the words of Hugo Lloris, Tuesday, at a press conference watch from the Doha Media Centre.
While the entire Arab world will be behind the Atlas Lions behind the TV screens, so will it be in the giant tent-like enclosure of Bedouins. While they were already very numerous (and very noisy) in the stadiums where Morocco had been playing since the start of the competition, this should be increased tenfold on Wednesday. For the occasion, the Moroccan government has indeed chartered around thirty additional planes to pour its wave of die-hard supporters onto Doha. A context in which the Blues are prepared if we are to believe the French goalkeeper.
“The different thing [par rapport aux matchs précédents], it is this hostile climate of the stadium which will be entirely in the colors of Morocco”, agreed Lloris before giving some keys to approach this without being eaten by the context. “It’s going to make noise, we won’t be able to agree, so we will have to be precise in the topics of discussion, on the tactical approach, the positioning, before the match and at half-time. We know it and we are preparing for all this quietly. This deafening noise, Deschamps was confirmed by the members of his staff who were able to attend previous meetings of Walid Regragui’s men.
“We know it and we are preparing for it quietly
“I can tell you that it makes noise, my observers told me, it’s part of the context, my players are warned, they know what to expect,” said the coach, passing through the stage. from the press center in the wake of his captain. Even if he doesn’t like the term “hostile” and prefers to speak of “significant popular fervor”, Deschamps knows that this can play on people’s heads, even if he is assertive (and we don’t have to agree with him) that “it doesn’t score a goal. Asked about the context surrounding this meeting for two days in the Arab and African world more generally, Lloris explained that the Blues did not have time to dwell on that.
“We have been in our bubble since the start of this competition, we don’t necessarily have the perspective or the information of what is happening outside, he assured. We are focused on our daily life, our training sessions, recovery, food. Above all, the more we advance in the competition, the closer we get to something strong and big. And we all want to continue the adventure as far as possible. And that requires extreme concentration. “Already alone against the rest of the world four years ago in Russia in the final against Croatia, the Blues know the song, we don’t worry about it.