Deschamps wary of ‘bull**** mistakes’

As France approach their first Euro 2020 qualifier, coach Didier Deschamps warned his world champions: "It's after success that we make the biggest bullshit mistakes."

EURO 2020 QUALIFIER, GROUP H

MOLDOVA

FRANCE

Les Bleus have played six games - four in the Nations League - since beating Croatia 4-2 to win the World Cup last July, but tomorrow morning's (Singapore time) Group H opener against Moldova at Zimbru Stadium will be their first leading to a major competition.

Deschamps told French newspaper L'Equipe: "For a player or coach, there is nothing better than the World Cup.

"You make history when you win, but things could have been very different with a few minor differences in results.

"After the win, everything looks OK, we reached our peak, but we must not forget the first days of training and the problems we encountered during the competition.

"Success erases all the negative stuff , but it's good to keep track of it all. Sometimes it doesn't take much to slip back into bad habits."

Deschamps, who is one of only three men to have won the World Cup both as a player and coach, alongside Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, added that losing the final of Euro 2016 to Portugal on home soil served as good "preparation" for their World Cup success in Russia two years later.

He said: "Losing in the Euro 2016 final serves us well in terms of preparation.

"I'm not going to say it's because of that that we won the World Cup final, but it served the players well, and even me, in relation to preparation, even if it was not the same context.

"You always learn, especially in failure. It's after success that we make the biggest bullshit mistakes - I want to avoid that."

However, Deschamps' midfield maestro Paul Pogba insists that motivation levels won't drop against Moldova.

NEW GOALS

Said the 26-year-old: "It's true that it's not so easy to come back and to have new goals right away after winning the World Cup.

"But we have to, it's our job.

"And we have to remain professional. But now we're going right into the competition, it's the qualifiers.

"We want to win, we want to be the first in the group."

France were drawn with Moldova, Albania, Turkey, Andorra and Iceland, who they face at the Stade de France on Tuesday morning. The top two qualify for the Euros, which will be staged across 12 countries.

One player who isn't in contention for France is want-away Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who hasn't played for Les Bleus since declining to be on the standby list ahead of the World Cup.

French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet insists he has not been suspended from international duty, but warned that the 23-year-old is "a long way off" from a recall.

Le Graet added that he has requested to meet Rabiot several times to discuss matters, but the meeting has yet to take place.

He told L'Equipe: "I haven't suspended him. If the coach wants to take him, he absolutely can do that. But that day is still a long way off."

While Rabiot may be a long way off from a recall, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane's return to the France fold as Les Bleus coach is definitely on the horizon, according to Deschamps.

Said Deschamps of his former teammate: "At some point, Zinedine Zidane will have a role to play.

"I do not know when.

"It could have been earlier, maybe it will come later.

"It seems obvious for him, as you could have once said about me, that he'll be here.

"But right now I don't think that's on his mind, nor mine!"