According to L'Équipe, the French team is preparing for the World Cup with 8 European champions, but coach Deschamps remains cautious, believing that winning in May does not guarantee success in July.
The initial physical training for the French team tested the players' legs, but they at least went to the United States with enough championship confidence: 8 players had just lifted European trophies. Five Paris Saint-Germain players, Dembélé, Doué, Lucas Hernandez, Barcola, and Zaïre-Emery, won the Champions League; Aston Villa's Digne won the Europa League; Crystal Palace's Lacroix and Mateta won the Conference League. Eight out of 26 players won titles, and only two national teams in the 21st century have done better – the 2018 Spanish team brought 9 players to the World Cup in Russia but exited in the round of 16, and the 2000 Turkish team also brought 9 players but exited in the quarterfinals.
A long European campaign can be physically taxing, but Paris Saint-Germain often rested key players in Ligue 1, managing their playing time, so players like Dembélé were not overused. The team's confidence seems to far outweigh any fatigue.
Former tennis player and current mental coach Pierre Gauthier said: "Physical freshness is crucial. Before becoming mentally strong, you must first have the energy to play continuously. However, these victories are good news. Compared to players with losing experiences, I would rather bring players who have won many games to the World Cup."
Although the conditions seemed to be in place, Deschamps cooled things down for the team on Friday. He couldn't play the "us against the world" card, because since beating Brazil and Colombia in warm-up matches in March, almost all he's heard is praise. The players' success at their clubs has further heightened the excitement. When talking about the final date, Deschamps said: "Putting us in July 19th now, I don't like it much, or even at all. Otherwise, we might as well not play, and just go straight to the United States on July 15th..."
Gauthier believes this is not just lip service: "So many things can happen, so there's a big difference between saying we are favorites and asserting that we must win the championship." Deschamps often chatted and laughed with Mbappe, who had an unhappy ending to his time at Real Madrid. Deschamps also distinguished between club and national team careers: "I've also talked to other players whose seasons didn't end so happily. Now it's a new period."
French President Macron visited the Clairefontaine base and had lunch with the team. Gauthier said about team cohesion: "The ability of an excellent coaching staff lies in developing personalized plans for everyone. Mbappe's current state is completely different from Dembélé and Doué, but I don't think he will arrive in a worse condition. Striving for the World Cup and turning things around will be a strong motivation. These players bounce back quickly."
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