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In an exclusive interview with our newspaper, William Gallas talked about Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, the French defense, and what he expects from the quarter-final against England.
| According to William Gallas, his country can win the World Cup (Photo: Károly Árvai) |
“How do you like the World Cup so far?”
“I’m disappointed,” William Gallas, the 83-time former France national team player and World Cup silver medalist, who is currently working as a youth coach at ZTE FC, told our newspaper. – Why? Because I see a lot of empty seats in the hall, every World Cup match must have a full house. So far, the tournament has been held in the summer, in good weather, people gather, sit outside, and cheer in front of a giant projector or TV. Now it’s cold here, at home, in the warm room, we’re watching the meetings. Last week I was home in France, and everyone there was watching the matches at eight in the evening. There was no mood in the streets, it saddened me. But I’m glad that the best teams are already in the quarter-finals, and we can see great matches.
– It was the first time in the history of the World Cup that the manager was eliminated from the group without any points. Qatar could not grow up with others.
“Until now, football was not part of the culture there, in everyday life they still have a lot to learn and a lot to improve.” Now they know what professional football is, and I’m sure they’re working hard to get better.
| William Gallas played twice against England, leaving the field victorious both times. First, at the group stage of the 2004 European Championship, the French won 2-1, and then, in March 2008, won 1-0 in a warm-up match. “Both matches were special, as I was living in London at the time,” William Gallas recalled. – I was a Chelsea player in 2044 and an Arsenal player in 2088, so I knew the opposing players well from the Premier League. I remember those matches fondly.” |
At the end of his career, he played in Australia, whose national team reached the round of 16.
Australia is in a similar position to Qatar, and football hasn’t been popular there for long either. In the last three matches, they have been eliminated in the group stage, but they have worked hard, and now they are able to advance. Australians are a good example of where hard work can get you. Respect them.
– Unlike them, the Germans could not enter the knockout stage.
Germany’s participation is a great disappointment. They have a lot of excellent young players, but they weren’t ready for the World Cup. They are in the best teams, but playing for the national team on the road is completely different. This is the biggest football event where we represent our country and footballers, no matter how young they are, should understand that. Four years of hard work now awaits them until the next tournament.
– Moving on to France: the defending champions have had an impressive performance so far in Qatar.
– Indeed, the team is playing well, I think we can achieve a great result. The team is strong, the players are good, and it is very difficult to play against the French national team. The ratio of young and experienced players in the team is right, and I like that.
– After the poor Nations League performance, he told our newspaper that the French defense does not look strong. How do you see it now?
– There are still problems, for example, the right-back position. Jules Koundé plays in this position, and he is a good player, but not the best solution, because he is originally a central defender. The defense must constantly improve, the players must get used to each other as much as possible, and it is important that they communicate with each other as much as possible. Raphaël Varane’s job is to keep the defense together and control his teammates.
Kylian Mbappe has five goals in the tournament, he plays excellent football. What do you think that?
“I wasn’t surprised.” I said before the match that he could be the tournament’s top scorer. He is a very intelligent and intelligent player who has proven to be able to change his style. Kylian Mbappe today is not what it was four or five months ago. I am very happy for him because he has changed a lot for the better. As a player, you have to ask yourself many questions: what do I need to change, what do I need to improve, what do I need to work on, and what are my most common mistakes? He handles this situation well, and keeps getting better, which is why I think he’ll be the best in the world in no time.
Many people sounded the alarm when it was revealed that Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema had to miss the World Cup due to injury, but Olivier Giroud proved with his three goals that he could replace the Real Madrid striker. In addition, he broke the record set by Thierry Henry in Qatar with fifty-two goals, and is already the most successful player in the French national team.
“He deserves a lot of respect for that.” He was never in an easy situation, and people criticized him a lot, but he handled the situation brilliantly like a true professional. A good soccer player is not only made up of his skills but he must also be mentally strong. he is. That’s exactly why he’s where he is, and that deserves respect. I like his mentality. He should relish the fact that he is currently France’s top goalscorer, because Kylian Mbappe will jump to the top in two years’ time.
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| Kylian Mbappe could do magic against England on Saturday (Picture: Reuters) |
The quarter-final match between England and France is coming up on Saturday – and it’s expected to be very exciting.
“It will be a great match.” The English don’t like the French, and the French don’t like the English, in fact we are neighbours, and we know each other very well. Many French people played football in the English Premier League, and we know English football. Both fan bases are eagerly awaiting the match, it’s a real prestige battle. We have better players, we have more experience and there are also many final winners in the previous tournament squad. Recently, when the two teams met, France won most of the time, i.e. we proved that we are stronger than England. That’s why I’m confident. The English think they have the best squad, but they don’t even have the best players. France qualified for the semi-finals.
– French defenders must watch Harry Kane.
– The question is not whether the French defense can stop him, but whether the English can stop Kylian Mbappe. Harry Kane has only scored one goal, and he doesn’t seem to be in good shape. Our offensive game is better.
– Can this offensive game lead to a title defense?
– It will be difficult, but yes, the team can win the World Cup. 
 Behind the scenes information about national teams like France is hard to come by. Frame members are treated in a manner befitting a chief, and are hermetically sealed from the outside world. Bernard Lyons, The staffer for leading French sports newspaper L’Equipe was in Qatar during the World Cup – he was on hand to talk to National Sports about the national team.Strict rules also apply to the players. Their family members could not travel to Qatar due to Didier Deschamps’ ban, and only friends can visit them at the hotel. If there is no match, their days are the same. In the morning the program includes moving around the hotel gym and then Have lunch and then rest.The training sessions are in the early evening.After dinner the guys like to gather in a common room or play billiards or play cards or even play video games.They managed to go out for a free walk in Doha just one afternoon during the week “. The L’Equipe employee knows Didier Deschamps’ team better than anyone else, and it was no secret that Kylian Mbappe visited his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, in Qatar this week. “The French players may also have been surprised by the dynamism of football here in Qatar. They feel they can defend their world title.” BB |
