Luis Fernandez: “France have experience that Spain don’t, but they must improve their attack if they want to win” | Eurocup Germany 2024

Luis Fernandez (Tarifa, 64) is a regular in the press rooms of the stadiums where France is playing this year’s European Championship. He sets up wherever there is a screen on which to follow the games. Campechano, reclining on a sofa if possible, greets anyone who approaches him and comments on the game if someone offers it. Or, if he sees another former French player, like Desailly, entering, he tells him to shut up before laughing. Fernandez, a former France international, was crowned champion of the 1984 Eurocup in a final in which France beat Spain 2-0.

Luis Fernandez (Tarifa, 64) is a regular in the press rooms of the stadiums where France is playing this year’s European Championship. He sets up wherever there is a screen on which to follow the games. The campechiano, reclining on a sofa if possible, greets anyone who approaches him and comments on the game if someone offers it. Or, if he sees another former French player like Desailly entering, he tells him to shut up before laughing. Fernandez, a former France international who won the 1984 Eurocup in the final, where France beat Miguel Muñoz’s Spain 2-0, analyses the semi-final of El País on Tuesday.

Ask. Do you have a forecast?

Reply. You can’t, it’s impossible to know what will happen in a game like this. Spain has good competition and they are a team that has shown interesting things. They have confidence. France have scored only three goals: two own goals and one penalty. It doesn’t work in attack. Spain have shown their best results since the beginning of the competition, but it will be an equal duel because France has players with a lot of experience that Spain doesn’t have. France was world champion in 2018, played the World Cup final in Qatar and also has high-level players.

TO. What do you think is the problem with France not playing better in attack?

R. They have players like Mbappe, Dembele, Barcola, Kolo Muani, Griezmann, who score goals for their clubs and play well, and football is about moments. In Spain, Madrid won the Champions League and a good league, and the national team has not played very well in recent years. France has strength, but something is missing in the offensive aspect, and they need to find a way to play against Spain if they want to win. We hope that against Spain they will do what everyone expects, play good football, and whether they win or lose, they will show more than they have done so far.

TO. Mbappe didn’t explode at the tournament, what’s your diagnosis?

R. He says himself that he is not in the best shape, he is at the end of the season… He tries to do something, but nothing works. You have to wait, because, as with Griezmann, when he is not one hundred percent, the team notices. If both are good, everyone thinks that it is easier for France to win games.

TO. Mbappe says he no longer has a player like Pogba behind him to send balls into space.

R. As a former player and former coach, I think France has strength in defense and in midfield there are players who play for Madrid, like Camavinga or Tchouameni. In this aspect, France has potential, now they need to improve the attacking aspect, whether it is the full-backs, the midfielders or Griezmann, who is not having a good time. When he is unwell, Atletico are unwell and this is what happens in France.

TO. Against Portugal, Deschamps put him in the centre and made him play at the top of the diamond, where he feels most comfortable.

R. Griezmann is a player who needs to be given freedom of movement, who can feel where he can be on the pitch to contribute and give, that’s the most important thing. When he came to Barcelona, ​​he was put in positions that were not his, and that’s what’s happening today. In the last game he was better, although he was not 100%, but he was able to contribute. If he is in good shape, the team is in good shape, because he has the technique to score good goals for the strikers.

TO. France are very physical in the centre with Kante, Choumayeni and Rabiot or Camavinga, and Spain won’t be able to rely on Pedri to make them run for the ball.

R. And who plays for Pedri? A certain Dani Olmo, right? He’s doing very well. Also, Rodri and Fabian are good with the ball, they are tactical intelligence on the field.

TO. France have a very solid defence, Maignan is one of the best goalkeepers in the Eurocup and Saliba is excellent.

R. Saliba spent two seasons with Arteta at Arsenal, during which he improved significantly. He defends well, he has the conditions to win matches, to show his strength and character. Concentration is required from a defender, and he does this very well together with Upamecano, they are both very good in defense. Maignan has gained a lot of confidence at Milan and is having a great Eurocup with decisive stops.

TO. Upamecano did not make any of the mistakes he usually makes when marking or moving away from the ball.

RIf he hasn’t had it, it’s because he is very focused and very involved in the games. The central and full-backs are in good shape. It shows that the team plays much better in defense than in attack. Maignan is playing a very high level Eurocup because he has gained a lot of trust in Milan.

TO. The France of champagne football that beat Spain in the 1984 final and in which you played in midfield with Giresse, Platini and Tigana was very different from this one.

R. It’s called complementarity of players who play with a sense of searching and searching for each other. Giresse was very good, and Platini, the Ballon d’Or winner… Tigana and I contributed what we could. We combined very well. In France, there is a group that has a good atmosphere, but it lacks more realism to be able to do something.

TO. You were the forerunner of box-to-box midfielders.

R. Yes, I really enjoyed running from one neighborhood to another.

questionAt that European Championship he scored a goal with a header, jumping over a Belgian defender as if he were jumping over a skirting board.

R. The judges would have cancelled it at that time before allowing the game to continue, hahaha.

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