Stéphane, the assistant coach of the French national team, looked back on the Euro 2016 final loss and expressed his unique opinion in a recent interview. He stated that even though France lost 0-1 to Portugal in that match, it did not leave him with bad memories. Instead, he sees that loss as an important step in the team's growth and eventual winning of the 2018 World Cup.
Stefan emphasized, "That wasn't our last game against Portugal, we played again after that and won. That final is not a bad memory for me. I don't think we would have won the 2018 World Cup without that game. We won because we learned the lessons we learned in the Europa League semifinal and final. So even though we lost that day, it's not a bad memory."
In addition, Stefan also talked about the situation of France's striker Mbappe. He said that Mbappe suffered a very serious impact during the game, but he still insisted on wearing a mask to play, showing excellent professionalism and athleticism. Stefan believes that although the mask may hinder Mbappe's vision, he is still the same dynamic and talented Mbappe. Since Euro 2021, Mbappe has scored in almost every match for the national team, which is ample proof that he still maintains a high level of form.
Stéphane's comments not only expressed his deep understanding of the team's history, but also showed his strong faith in young players such as Mbappé. He believes that the French team can learn from their past failures, move forward and achieve better results in future tournaments.
