FRANCE 98 – France – M. Desailly: “It is very important that we win against Denmark in order to finish first”

France – M. Desailly: “It is very important that we win against Denmark in order to finish first”

21.06.98 22h09 CET

Statements from the FRANCE team training centre in Clairefontaine (south of PARIS)

Didier DESCHAMPS (7), FRANCE team captain

“We could face teams like SPAIN or PARAGUAY in the next round. As far as they are concerned, SPAIN has more potential than PARAGUAY because they are more difficult to break through. The match against DENMARK won’t be a walk in the park. We’re not out to run them into the ground, but to win the match, and finish at the head of Group C. We’re rotating in a lot of players, which allows us to save our strength for what’s to come and to cement the bond between us as players.”

 Robert PIRES (11)

“Joël Muller (coach of the Metz team) called me to congratulate me on my last performance. He also advised that I should become more aware of my skills so that I can be more competitive and more aggressive which is what Aimé JACQUET has also said several times. I don’t want the public to compare me to Zinedine ZIDANE with whom I would like to talk before the next match to benefit from his advice. If I’m not called for this match, I’ll be disappointed.”

 Bernard DIOMEDE (13)

“The next match against DENMARK (Group C) will be difficult because the Danes are physically quite strong and they have players like the LAUDRUP brothers who can turn the tide at any moment in the game. As for the round of sixteen, we can’t worry about any particular team; we need to respect everyone and fear no one. So, should we play PARAGUAY, BULGARIA, or SPAIN, it’s all the same. SPAIN is not the same team that we beat 1-0 during the inauguration of the Stade de France (SAINT-DENIS).”

 Marcel DESAILLY (8)

“For the last match against DENMARK, it is very important that we win in order to finish first. As for my relationship with Frank LEBOEUF (18), that presents no problem to me whatsoever. In fact, on the contrary, our playing styles are complimentary. To each his own. I need to not wear myself out in order to keep my drive, but I’m dying to play. In any case, it’s Aimé JACQUET’s decision.”

 Laurent BLANC (5)

“I am confident for the round of sixteen, but we cannot afford to neglect the next match of the group. The team is good. The shifting of players forward gives us a good boost, and by placing players in the back we are able to block the ball. These two systems complement each other, so it’s quite efficient. A stable system is very important to me.”

 Thierry HENRY (12)

“It doesn’t matter to me which team we play in the round of sixteen, but I didn’t expect it to be a team like PARAGUAY (Group D). My goal is to win the World Cup, not to be the best striker, so it really doesn’t make any difference who the opposing team is.”

 Frank LEBOEUF (18)

“I will be tending toward the left and Marcel DESAILLY to the right, a system we’re very comfortable with. If we haven’t worked together perfectly in the past, it’s because of the bad quality of the pitches we’ve played on. I’m a technical player, so a bad pitch really holds my performance back.”