European Football Championship - Mbappé's frustrated Frenchmen defiant - "We'll be back"
Critics had to pinch Kylian Mbappe's French team during this disappointing European Championship for them. And then, after their elimination in the semifinals against Spain's football artists late at night, National Coach Didier Deschamps received an unexpected question about his way with the Tricolore team to the WM 2026.
"That's not going well right now, we just lost the semifinal", bitterly replied the coach, who is contractually bound to France in the USA, Mexico, and Canada until the end of the tournament. Mon Dieu - Unheard of.
Mbappe: "That's a disappointment"
Some Frenchmen were unhappy, however, that the World Champion of 2018 and the runner-up of 2022 at this European Championship performed in such a way. Predominantly boring and bureaucratic. Instead of entertaining football, the spectators were served bureaucratic football. "I had the ambition to become European champion. I had the ambition to play a good European Championship. I didn't achieve either one of those things", admitted Captain Mbappe after the last EM appearance of his French team in Munich. "That's a disappointment."
Even Mbappe couldn't hide the flaws
Mbappe looked relieved. "He felt better without a mask", recognized Deschamps, as a player who was World and European champion in 1998. Mbappe therefore took off his mask. But instead of a gifted striker who couldn't mask his team's deficiencies in offensive play, a beguiling star emerged. "I think I have to score a goal", Mbappe thought to himself critically just before the final whistle. "At least the shot has to reach the goal, but it goes over. That's the hard reality in football."
For Deschamps, reality means that he must convey more savoir-vivre, more joy, more passion to his defensively very solid team. Because France is blessed with talent and youth. From the current squad, only N'Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann (both 33) and Olivier Giroud (37) are significantly over 30. And Giroud, with 57 goals, is already retired for France.
Griezmann adapts to the bench
Deschamps missed efficiency in his team. A free spirit like Griezmann should have hoped for more concept from his national coach. "I tried to give everything, even on different positions. I had to adapt", explained the offensive player from Atletico Madrid, who eventually sat on the bench for the first 62 minutes against Spain. "That's the life of a football player", he said. "Others didn't play a minute. I won't complain."
Griezmann showed himself determined for the future despite the disappointing Euros. "We'll be back", he assured. Of course, this also applies to Mbappe_, who begins a new chapter as a footballer at Real Madrid. But first, he needs a vacation. "I will recover well", Mbappe_ said. "I think I need that to be fresh for the first game and to have a good pre-season preparation."
The European Football Championship saw France's disappointing performance, leading to criticism from critics. France's elimination in the semifinals against Spain's football artists marked a late-night end to their European Championship journey. Despite the semifinal loss, Didier Deschamps remains contractually bound to France for the WM 2026 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Mbappe, the captain of the French team, expressed his disappointment after their last EM appearance in Munich, stating that he had failed to achieve his ambition of becoming European champion and playing a good European Championship. Antoine Griezmann, another member of the French team, admitted to needing to adjust to his role on the bench during the tournament.
Spain, Germany, and Mexico were also mentioned as participating countries in the European Championship, but no specific details were provided about their performances or roles in the tournament. The text focused primarily on France's team and their disappointing performance, with mentions of individual players like Mbappe and Griezmann.
The text also mentioned that France's team is blessed with talent and youth, with only a few players being significantly over 30. This suggests that the French team may have potential for improvement and success in future tournaments. However, the focus remained on the team's disappointing performance in the European Championship, with no guarantee of a different outcome in future tournaments.
