The coach of France, the former player Didier Deschamps, said, in a press conference this Saturday (17), that he reaches the final of the Qatar Cup against Argentina without major concerns, but with the clear objective of winning the title. The teams face each other, starting at 12h (Brasília time) next Sunday (18) at Estádio de Lusail.
“I don’t have worries, I don’t have stress, the important thing in preparing for a game like this is to stay calm. Any final, even more so than a World Cup, includes the match, but also a particular context. The objective is to win another title, we will do everything to get what we want”, declared the coach, who also led France to the world title in 2018, in Russia.
However, Deschamps knows that he will have an extra challenge in next Sunday’s final, the support of passionate Argentine fans in the stadium (thousands of fans have arrived in Qatar in recent days to follow the decision): “I am aware that this Argentine team has a very popular. Obviously, the stadium tomorrow will be mostly for Argentine fans. I expect a festive mood, Argentines are passionate people, totally in favor of their team. It gives a festive, positive atmosphere, they sing a lot, they are very expressive. It’s good to have that atmosphere for a match like this because it’s a World Cup final, but our opponents are not in the stands, the only ones we have will be on the field”.
The captain of France, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, spoke of the support that the Argentine team has received from fans from other countries because of Lionel Messi, who will probably make his last appearance for the Argentine national team: “We will do everything and give everything to we emerge victorious from this final battle. We know what Leo Messi represents in the history of our sport, but above all it will be a match between the French national team and the Argentine national team. There are very good opposing football players with a real state of mind. They are big competitors. It has everything to be a great game”.