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Deschamps warns France to feed on confidence, not excess, before World Cup knockout stage

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • France coach Didier Deschamps urged his team to maintain confidence without overconfidence as they prepare for the knockout stage of the World Cup.
  • Deschamps congratulated his squad for winning three matches, a first under his tenure, but stressed the tournament's difficulty increases with each round.
  • The team will face Sweden in the round of 16, with Deschamps emphasizing the need to focus on each opponent as the competition progresses.

Didier Deschamps has returned to the French squad, urging his players to harness their confidence but avoid complacency as they enter the knockout stages of the World Cup. The team faces Sweden in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

You know what awaits us now, the path. The first competition is over. There is a second one. We are switching, it's the same competition but it's another competition.

— Didier DeschampsDeschamps described the upcoming knockout stage of the World Cup to his team.

Deschamps, back after attending his mother's funeral, addressed his players, congratulating them on their performance during his absence. The team secured three victories, a first under Deschamps' leadership, though he noted this achievement doesn't grant an additional bonus. He praised assistant coach Guy Stéphan and the staff for their management.

You have the confidence. You have been able to do very good things. There are things we can improve, obviously. We must feed on this confidence without having it in excess.

— Didier DeschampsDeschamps addressed the team's confidence levels ahead of their next match.

"You know what awaits us now, the path," Deschamps told the squad, drawing on his extensive experience since taking charge in 2012. He described the upcoming phase as a "different competition" within the same tournament, emphasizing the high stakes of each match. He aims to prevent any tension from affecting the team.

The mountain is there. Let's already think about the Swedes on Tuesday. It comes quickly.

— Didier DeschampsDeschamps urged his players to focus on their immediate opponent, Sweden.

With half the squad experiencing their first World Cup, Deschamps sought to demystify the pressure. "You have the confidence. You have been able to do very good things," he said. He acknowledged areas for improvement, such as defense and collective balance, but stressed the importance of feeding off their current confidence without excess. "The mountain is there. Let's already think about the Swedes on Tuesday. It comes quickly," he added, thanking the team for their efforts and highlighting that there is still much to achieve.

A big thank you to all of you for what has been done, we still have a lot of things to go and get.

— Didier DeschampsDeschamps concluded his address to the team.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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