France’s Didier Deschamps: ‘This break has been more difficult.’

Didier Deschamps was sympathetic to France’s lethargic performances against Germany and Chile during the March international break but stated that he will be expecting more from his players come the summer.

There was a lack of intensity and desire as a feeble France side slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Germany in Lyon on Saturday. A reaction of sorts was evident as Les Bleus beat Chile 3-2 in Marseille on Tuesday, however, once again, it did not go unnoticed that his talented squad were not hitting their usual heights.

L’Équipe had cited a lack of motivation during the most recent international break, with the ongoing UEFA Champions League campaign reportedly more of a topic of discussion than the upcoming Euros. The international break also came after an intense period in the club calendar, which left some players sapped of energy, and other joining Les Bleus with minor niggles. The frailty within this squad was evidenced by Jonathan Clauss’ hamstring injury and Eduardo Camavinga’s muscle sprain against Chile.

Deschamps therefore understands the drop in level. “It’s good to win this match after having started poorly. We reacted well. It’s linked a bit to the levels of fitness and energy, which isn’t optimal,” reacted the Frenchman after Les Bleus’ 3-2 victory.

He continued, “I was a player once too. Given the challenges that are to come, I understand that players are managing themselves. You can’t banalise these games, but we will have to do things differently in June. We have the capacity and the desire to do so. This time, we weren’t fully fresh […] this March international break has been more difficult than ones that have come before. I understand what is at stake after this international break, which they have in their