Journal des Bleus: Mbappe exempted from training, Giroud worked, and Grisou did not strain

This Wednesday morning, Didier Deschamps, his players and 60 million French people are three days away from an important game against England in the quarter-finals at Al-Bayt Stadium on Saturday (at 20:00).

On Tuesday at noon, the Blues said goodbye to their families and loved ones who had been their company since Sunday evening, as the coach gave them a full day of freedom on Monday. Qualifying against Poland (3-1) in the round of 16 on Sunday afternoon is slowly receding into the rearview mirror while France’s group work has resumed.

Mbappe does not participate in collective training

The Blues’ star striker did not take part in the team practice on Tuesday night in Doha, opting for recovery work. The 23-year-old world champion was working in intensive care, according to Blues management, who referred to a “classic” situation two days after the last match. Mbappé took part in the entire round of 16 in a 3-1 win against Poland on Sunday, about 100 minutes into which he scored twice.

All the other players took part in a light sweep at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium before leaving the bench to play a downsized opponent with Steve Mandanda and Alphonse Areola in goal. Hugo Lloris, Jules Kundet, Adrien Rabiot, Antoine Griezmann and Aurélien Chouameni, the only Frenchman to start in all the first four games, were seated on the mats.

Phrase: “This 52nd goal calms me down a lot.”

Attending Tuesday’s pre-training press conference, Olivier Giroud naturally returned to the goal, which, apart from the first against Poland on Sunday, made him the leading French scorer in history with 52 goals, one more than Thierry Henry.

“This record reminds me of all the years gone by,” said the Milan centre-forward. Eleven in the French national team, highs, very high, moments a little lower. The most important thing is to set a good example for young players who want to believe in their dream. I came to the French national team at 25, at 20 I didn’t know a very high level. If it can serve as an example, it is a great pride. You can’t have everything in life that young people want today. You must always believe in your qualities. I am very proud to be there. I know that the team still needs me, but this 52nd goal brings me a huge relief. Moreover, you can see it on my face because many people have told me about it before. »

Giroud was also asked about the “bromance” that seems to reign between him and Mbappe thanks to the Blues’ attacking effectiveness. “It’s natural, spontaneous,” commented the former gunner. Top-level sports, football in particular, provide magical moments. Of course, it was not the winning goal of the World Cup, but this goal meant a lot. Score the first goal is an important step in the match, and we know how hard it is. This realization was a huge relief. My relationship with him is very good, and it has always been that way for me. It is this enthusiasm that we want to convey in this team. »

Stress explained Griezmann

With the approach of such a period, the pressure in the heads of the players will not stop growing. Breaking the agreed formulas, Antoine Griezmann has beautifully described this phenomenon in recent days, reporting fragments of the discussion he had with the “newcomers” Matteo Guendouzi and Jordan Veret, thirteen elections between them: “This is what they felt against Tunisia, I felt it in against Australia, it’s tension, heavy legs, you don’t feel the ball when you pass. And over the matches, it’s gone. In 2018, almost all games were like this. In 2014 it wasn’t me, I couldn’t play…”

500 euros for a stadium seat, even 600…

Since Sunday, the Tricolor supporters present in Doha have been working and sweating profusely in the hope of securing a seat at the Al-Bayt Stadium on Saturday night – for those who don’t have tickets yet, of course. The FIFA ticketing platform displays the same message again and again: there are no more seats available for France and England. The last resort is the black market. For an “entry level” seat in the last hours, the ticket price will be three times higher, or between 500 and 600 euros. However, according to the logic inherent in this type of exchange, prices will tend to fall in the last hours before the start.