At 21:00 UTC (CEST) on July 5, France will face Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. On the eve of the match, France coach Didier Deschamps attended a press conference. This article is the third part of the press conference.
Paraguay are a very physical team that bring a lot of intensity to their tackles. How do you prepare your players to manage the physical risks, for example, to prevent injuries?
The best approach is not to be afraid. Football is inherently full of physical contact. Beyond that, there are rules and referees. Fouls should be punished, although from the beginning of the match – which is not a bad thing – the referee has generally allowed play to continue for some minor contacts and fouls. I won't prepare them deliberately; they know what kind of opponent they will face. Defenders are true defenders because it is ingrained in them, but this should not change our attitude toward what we want to do.
But I reiterate: having this quality, which I think they are born with, Paraguay and most South American teams are like this. It is part of their upbringing from childhood, and they have maintained it. For me, this is by no means a drawback; on the contrary. So we are very clear about this, and the players know it; all my players know it.
Mr. Deschamps, you just mentioned the issues surrounding high temperatures, heat, and similar conditions, as well as the essential need for hydration. However, these humid and hot environmental conditions are considered dangerous for players by FIFPRO. You also mentioned your medical team and your response protocols and plans. Beyond hydration, could you give us a more detailed understanding of the specific response plans you are following and what exactly needs to be done? Also, for example, are you considering keeping substitute players indoors, as we saw in last year's Club World Cup?
I apologize, but I won't go into detail. Each team, each medical team, and each head coach can choose different response plans, and we prepare based on what we already know. However, I also watched the Club World Cup semifinals and final with my assistant Guy Stéphan at the time; we were in the stands, so we had the opportunity to discuss and observe the situation. There was also very intense heat at that time, so obviously, it had an impact.
Is this good for the players' health? Whenever there are extreme conditions, whether extreme heat, extreme cold, or hard ground, it is obviously not ideal, but it is not something we can choose. So we have to adapt, and we try to prepare in advance. But this is not just about match day; it also concerns the days before, and even the weeks before, because specific plans had already been implemented when we were preparing at Clairefontaine.
Of course, after that, there is a lot that needs to be done, such as cryotherapy. There are many methods, and hydration is also crucial, day and night, to keep the body functioning properly – because at very high temperatures, the body obviously loses a lot of water, and it must be replenished. So, yes, but I think this applies to all teams. After that, of course, there will be different implementation plans, but they are more or less similar.
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