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France's Konaté: 'Nobody wants to play this match' for third place
🇭🇷 Croatia /Sports

France's Konaté: 'Nobody wants to play this match' for third place

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • French defender Ibrahim Konaté acknowledges the lack of desire to play the third-place match at the World Cup.
  • He stated that while the team is disappointed about not reaching the final, they will play with pride.
  • Konaté also commented on the final between Argentina and Spain, noting his future club plays in Spain.

French defender Ibrahim Konaté candidly admitted that neither his team nor their upcoming opponent, England, relishes playing in the World Cup third-place playoff match. Echoing sentiments previously expressed by England's coach Thomas Tuchel, Konaté stated, "Nobody wants to play this match for third place." He emphasized that the primary goal for both France and England was to compete in the final, not a consolation game.

I saw that Thomas Tuchel said that nobody wants to play this match for third place. He is right in the sense that we all wanted to play the final, not the match for third place.

— Ibrahim KonatéThe French defender agrees with England's coach about the general sentiment towards the third-place playoff.

Despite the disappointment of falling short of the final – France lost to Spain in the semi-finals, while England was defeated by Argentina – Konaté stressed that the French team would approach the match with professionalism and pride. "But we are proud to wear this jersey, so we will play this match to the end. We have a duty as French internationals, and many players would like to be here," he asserted, underscoring the honor of representing their nation.

But we are proud to wear this jersey, so we will play this match to the end. We have a duty as French internationals, and many players would like to be here.

— Ibrahim KonatéKonaté emphasizes the team's commitment to playing with pride despite their disappointment.

When asked about the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, Konaté offered a nuanced perspective. Having recently signed with a Spanish club, he noted a personal connection to Spain's team, which had defeated France earlier in the tournament. "I will play in Spain, and that is the team that beat us, so if they win the title, you can say that we lost to the world champions," he remarked.

I will play in Spain, and that is the team that beat us, so if they win the title, you can say that we lost to the world champions.

— Ibrahim KonatéKonaté discusses the final and his personal connection to the Spanish team, his future club.

However, Konaté also acknowledged the lingering competitive tension with Argentina, stemming from France's loss to them in the 2022 World Cup final. Despite this history, he expressed no clear preference for either finalist, mentioning his friendship with Argentinian player Alexis Mac Allister. "As for Argentina, we have unfinished business from 2022, but Mac Allister is my friend. I have no preference," he concluded.

As for Argentina, we have unfinished business from 2022, but Mac Allister is my friend. I have no preference.

— Ibrahim KonatéKonaté reflects on the history with Argentina and his lack of a clear favorite in the final.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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