Euro 2020 – France team: Impressive but too minimalist? The Blues divide Europe

In France, we are used to the debate which, curiously, is extinguished by itself when the Blues come to do battle with the best nations, in the world or on the continent. Namely at the World Cup and the Euro. That too is perhaps the Deschamps paw, that of efficiency. In France, it is between two major meetings that voices are raised to regret a lack of enthusiasm, often forgetting that the Habs feed on the competition, not on its preliminaries.

Tuesday evening, France and Europe attended the show of force of the Blues, against Germany (1-0). The world champions have double-locked everything and, to say the least, it pains some people. We toured the Eurosport editorial staff to find out. Or not.

To all credit, honor, we started with the Germans who, for their part, rubbed shoulders with the beast. Verdict? “There is no possible discussion: France is at this stage the best team in Europe. They have it all: the game and a ‘street football’ mentality. And in addition to their technical and tactical skills, the French are extremely intelligent. They look a bit like the Italians of the 80s and early 90s “, Judge Thomas Janz, who is still a little unsatisfied. Why ? “It seems to me that they could play a lot better …” Understand by that: to be more spectacular.

“Playing this type of football with such a ridiculously talented team who should like to play creative and fluid football… It would be great if they went all out and beat Germany 5-0 next time around. With these players they should. be able to do it. With this trainer, they will not be able to do it. “, Jules Huijnen, Dutch journalist, does not take four roads: he finds this blue too pale.

The opinion is shared by Spain, fed on the aesthetics of its selection at the turn of the 2010s. “France is obviously the strongest national team in the world, player by player and line by line, it is the most complete national team in some time, “said Felix Martin. But, he too, keeps his hand on the brake: “The feeling here is that France was not as brilliant as that in 2018 and no more against Germany”.

“Can France play better? Of course. But in football we only retain the one who wins, assures Alessandro Brunetti, colleague of Eurosport Italy. Look at Italy: it’s new for us to have a team that plays good football. Historically we have always had stronger formations when we relied on the axiom great defense and beautiful counterattacks. We won four World Cups like that “. And, a priori, nobody complains about it on the other side of the Alps.

Finally, the voice of reason comes from across the Channel. Perhaps because the English have not won for a long time and they realize the scale of the task and the successful accomplishment by Didier Deschamps at the head of the Blues. “With a few exceptions, international football does not have time to put together brilliant, creative, entertaining and successful teams. Conservatism is therefore inevitable., explains Tom Adams of Eurosport England. We no longer win international tournaments by being the most fluid and offensive team. And today, France is solid but with players like Pogba, Griezmann, Benzema and especially Mbappé, France has the best of both worlds: solidity and spectacularity. “