Marco Verratti assures him: he had spoken with Thomas Tuchel before being placed on the sidelines, Friday, July 24, during the final of the Coupe de France won against Saint-Etienne (1-0). “There is no problem,” said the 27-year-old midfielder, replaced for the time of this final by Leandro Paredes. As was already the case on March 11 against Borussia Dortmund (2-0) in the round of 16 second leg of the Champions League, when Verratti was suspended. “I have great respect for Leo. If we are still racing in the Champions League, it is also because he had a great match. “
The compliments made, the gaze is now on this second final in a row, this Friday evening (9:10 p.m., at the Stade de France), against a European level opponent, Olympique Lyonnais. In all likelihood, Verratti will let go of the mask imposed on substitutes in this period of Covid-19 for a place in midfield, whether it is formed with two or three players. Alongside Gueye, Marquinhos or Paredes? A doubt persists in the head of Tuchel, who will not announce the final composition until the morning to his players.
Only four finals as a substitute
The Paredes-Gueye duo has in any case convinced the German, whether against Dortmund or against Saint-Etienne. The setting on the bench and the return of Verratti as holder this Friday could also serve to “sting” the player trained in Pescara, to remind him that the competition is still pushing behind him. “It was a super complicated decision, Tuchel repeated Thursday at a press conference. It wasn’t Marco’s fault, not at all. He has extraordinary qualities, it’s a great option for tomorrow (Editor’s note: this Friday). I had the feeling that Gana and Léo deserved to play together ”.
In his career in red and blue, Verratti has been present on the scoresheet of fifteen national finals. It was only the fourth time that he did not start as a starter. In August 2013, he was “only” 20 years old during the Champions Trophy. In 2016, in the final of the Coupe de France or during a new Champions Trophy, the Italian international was slowly recovering from a pubalgie suffered a few weeks earlier.
The management of this physique, precisely, could have entered into the mind of his trainer. But no, “Marco is back in good physical condition after these four months of hiatus,” said Tuchel, “not worried” with an athlete he considers “also fit as possible after this bizarre phase ”. Smiling behind his slightly oversized mask in front of the media, Verratti doesn’t seem worried about the future either. This week, several relatives shouted the same words to us: “Everything is fine. A good hearer.
