“Dear fans, I have one word: pity”, he wrote. “It’s their win, their history”.
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The only time France has won silverware away from Paris was Euro 2000, while the sole final loss was on penalties to Italy at the 2006 World Cup.
As a coach, he inspires players with his honesty in decision making, and by not avoiding the tough calls. Where Zinedine Zidane provided the creativity when France was top of the football pile, Deschamps added the relentless persistence of a ball-winning midfielder.
“It was our duty to win the matches and try and entertain the French public, to spread some happiness and try and go all the way in this tournament”, said Griezmann, whose sister, Maud, had escaped unhurt from the Bataclan theatre in November 2015 on the night when 130 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis.
There are no favors to be had from Deschamps and everyone gets their chance, regardless of status.
France has developed into an opportunist side at Euro 2016 with a penchant for hitting teams on the break. The French star striker and arguably one of the master free-kick takers in the world, Dimitri Payet did take the shot in front of the near empty goal but he must have been totally shocked, and amazed at the same time, at finding a leg coming from nowhere and deflecting his high-powered shot at Lorris.
“I think 24 teams are too many”, he said on sport1.de.
Deschamps is not afraid to take risks and gets players thriving under positive pressure. Germany’s Jonas Hector, right, challenges for the ball with France’s Moussa Sissoko during the Euro 2016 semifinal soccer match between Germany and France at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, France, on Thursday. The 25-year-old scored in the quarter-final against Iceland, with a flawless lob during a counter-attack and he proved decisive in the semi-final facing World Champions Germany.
The Germany captain may well have played his last European Championships, with reports he is considering immediate retirement from the worldwide game, but he did not touch on that in an open letter posted on the German Football Association’s Facebook page.
At lease I know that on a good day the French can entertain me with their game which is why I support them in the first place. But goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made a great stop on Griezmann to ensure that Germany withstood the early onslaught, giving the reigning World Cup champions time to pull themselves together.
France manager Didier Deschamps has a healthy lineup.
In a Euro 2016 matchup featuring La Liga rivals Ronaldo and Griezmann, it might be best to back the superstar whose team keeps him engaged in the game.
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There was no stopping him after that.
