Guillaume Marion, Media365, published on Saturday January 14, 2023 at 2:50 p.m.
At 37, Steve Mandanda confirmed this Saturday to the press that he was retiring from international football. World champion in 2018, the goalkeeper has 35 selections with the Blues.
In 2023, a very big page in the history of the Blues will turn. Indeed, just a few weeks after the 2022 World Cup final lost to Argentina (3-3, 4-2 pens) in Qatar, Steve Mandanda will imitate Hugo Lloris and retire from international football, as revealed by L’Equipe this Saturday morning. At 37, the current goalkeeper of Rennes will therefore say stop and put an end to his career in the France team, he who has 35 selections since 2008. If he had succeeded Grégory Coupet after the Euro in Austria and Swiss, the player who spent most of his career at Olympique de Marseille (613 games) had finally become from 2009 the understudy of Lloris, now the new record holder for selections with the Blues (145). Number two in Qatar, Mandanda was a very important member of the French locker room, thanks in particular to his speaking out with his teammatesand a privileged relay of Didier Deschamps.
A new place to take with the Blues
World champion in Russia, the native of Kinshasa (Congo) will therefore have played two matches in the World Cup in his career, against Denmark in 2018 (0-0) and against Tunisia in 2022 (0-1). Following the recent announcement by the Tottenham goalkeeper, if some thought that the one Marseilles nicknamed “Il Fenomeno” could take over next March during qualifying for Euro 2024, pending the return of Mike Maignan from injury, so nothing will happen. In the future, Deschamps will therefore have to do without his two most experienced goalkeepers. To accompany the last bastion of AC Milan, destined to become the new holder of the Blues at 27, the French coach should continue to trust Alphonse Areola (29), despite unequal playing time with West Ham, and could therefore make Alban Lafont (23) his new number three in the hierarchywho was called up for the first time in his young career last September.
“It was the moment, it was normal to stop”
Present this Saturday at a press conference before facing PSG in Ligue 1 on Sunday evening (8:45 p.m.), Mandanda confirmed the information that had been circulating for a few hours. “I was surprised to see that (the information of his international retirement) this morning. Now, it’s true that it’s a decision that was taken at the end of the competition, I had great moments with the France team. Today, it’s time for me too, at 37, there are young people arriving. It closes the loop with Hugo Lloris. It is with great pride and emotion that I experienced all this. Today, the France team stops for me. We talked about it with Hugo, we came to the same decision. Me it happens logically, I lived many seasons, I am also older. It was time, it was normal to stop. (…) The French team is what we can see from the highest, I touched what is best with the world title, ”reacted the person concerned, in comments taken up by RMC Sport.
