2023-11-09 16:58:19
As expected after a breathtaking start to the season with PSG and the Espoirs, Warren Zaire-Emery (17 years and 8 months) was called up to the France A team by Didier Deschamps this Thursday, with a view to the matches against Gibraltar (18 November, in Nice) then in Greece (November 21, in Athens) at the end of qualifying for Euro 2024. The young Parisian talent is among the 6 midfielders selected for these two matches. If he comes into play, he will become the youngest post-war international since Eduardo Camavinga, launched at 17 years, nine months and 29 days on September 8, 2020 (4-2).
“Because of what he has achieved with PSG, and since the last gathering, he is there with us because he has all the qualities to be at a very high level,” explained Deschamps during the traditional press briefing organized on the sidelines of the list. Even if there is competition in his position, what he is capable of achieving with his club, at his age demonstrates enormous potential and a maturity already well established at just over 17 years old. This is an important step for him in his career. Everything goes very quickly but he has this ability to be able to assume all these responsibilities. »
For almost thirty minutes, the coach was bombarded with questions about the young phenomenon, specifying that his place in the list was “not necessarily” conditioned by the injury of Aurélien Tchouameni, affected in the metatarsal. The kid’s precocity is immense, but Didier Deschamps doesn’t make it a question of age. He even explained that as soon as he shows his qualities, he will play.
“Some players can be mature at 18, others at 30. There is no special treatment, assures DD. Obviously, when someone comes, and regardless of age, the first summons must be made to be in the best conditions, with serenity. There is an important spotlight, particularly in the media. It’s afterward that you also have to know how to digest or manage, it depends on how it goes, he warns. I always allow a lot more mitigating circumstances when it comes to the first matches, the first selections, the first tenures. For some, it takes a little time to free themselves and be completely confident. For others, it happens naturally. »
“A candidate for the next Euro”
For Zaire-Emery, captain of the Espoirs for the last two meetings, Euro 2024 is a goal. “If he is there, it is because he has everything through what he does. As I said last month, he is a candidate for the next European Championship. I’m not going to go into detail about the use of the game system. He’s a complete midfielder at his young age, he does a lot of things very well. Since I have been a coach, and it was the same at club, I do not choose to put players on the field based on their date of birth. If I think it’s better for the team, whether he’s 17 or 28… Like Camavinga, they are players ready for the very high level. They potentially have everything you need,” added Didier Deschamps.
At the time of the announcement of the list, at 2 p.m. this Thursday, Warren Zaire-Emery was isolated in one of the rooms at the PSG training center in Poissy. He had the pleasant surprise of being congratulated by several teammates. Around the tricolor captain Kylian Mbappé, his little brother Ethan (the same age as WZE), Presnel Kimpembe, Randal Kolo Muani, Nordi Mukiele and Achraf Hakimi joined him to celebrate this unique moment together. “No need to wait, it’s now.” Congratulations Warren Zaire-Emery,” Kylian Mbappé posted on Instagram in the minutes following Deschamps’ announcement, imitated by Presnel Kimpembe, via this message: “Hats off, Warren.”
“Hi it’s Warren, I just learned that I was selected for the French team for the first time. I am very happy and very happy,” commented Zaire-Emery in a short video posted by PSG.
Thierry Henry: “I hope not to see him again”
At the microphone of La Chaîne L’Equipe, Thierry Henry, the Espoirs coach, also complimented his former protégé: “We are here for the France A team. The goal is for Warren to go up and stay. I hope he will say hello to me at Clairefontaine (laughing). I’m very happy for him. He deserves it with his performances, his education, how he behaves… I could talk about him for hours. I take my hat off to the parents, he is very well looked after. I hope I don’t see him again and that he stays with the A’s as long as possible.”
The Espoirs coach has few illusions about the continuation of the young midfielder’s adventure in Blue. “It was only a matter of time. For me it was a certainty that he was going to move up to the A’s, I even thought he would have been called up before, confessed the former Gunner. He is one of the best players at PSG. I am happy to have participated for two and a half minutes in its evolution (laughing). We are talking about an extraordinary player but also an extraordinary human being. »
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