“We are not afraid. We have respect for France, it’s different.” Before facing the Blues this Saturday evening in Nice, Gibraltar coach Julio Ribas is not getting any knots in his brain. Obviously, his team risks struggling on the pitch against “the best European team for five years”. But last June, in Faro (Portugal), its young players put up an honorable resistance to the Blues, who won (3-0) without difficulty, but also without glory.
Last in the group, Gibraltar would like to save the honor. But by ending this elimination phase with matches against France and the Netherlands, it is not even sure that the possibility of scoring a first goal will be offered to him. It doesn’t matter for this team in full construction, where almost half of the players were born after 2000, like Nicola Pozo, 18 years old. “For any player of my age, it’s a privilege, a dream, to face teams like this. I am lucky and very happy to have this opportunity. »
In progress since 2018
At his side, his coach, born in Uruguay, observes him with kindness. “We are experiencing a wonderful adventure with this group. Many of our players come from our U17 and U18 selections and that is fundamental in my eyes. We have only been professional for ten years, we still need to grow in all aspects of the game. But since 2018, the team has worked and progressed enormously, and we won our first official matches. » Facing the Blues, “the challenge is immense”. But Gibraltar is not afraid, the message has been sent.
