France Espoirs team: in Slovenia, Thierry Henry and his Blueberries want to take a first step towards the Euro

2023-09-13 05:10:11

Thierry Henry sets out to conquer the competition which cost his predecessor his place. The Bleuets begin qualifying for Euro 2025 this Monday in Slovenia (6 p.m., live on the L’Equipe channel). They were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Ukraine during the 2023 edition (3-1), while Sylvain Ripoll was unable to fully exploit the potential of a rich squad.

The former Lorient coach had still qualified the France Espoirs team three times for the Euro, without ever reaching the final. Henry will be particularly scrutinized in the light of the Paris Olympic Games, where the objective will be to win gold, according to Philippe Diallo. But these first official matches could allow him to build pressure before the event. A priori, the Bleuets start favorites in a group made up of Bosnia, Cyprus, Austria and Slovenia, but only the first in the group will definitely qualify for the final phase.

The three best runners-up from the nine groups will also qualify, the other six will have to compete in the play-offs. No room for error, therefore. Nevertheless, the Henry-style Hopes shone for the induction of the former striker against Denmark (4-1), a nation recognized for the consistency of its training, Thursday in Nancy.

The former Monaco coach has a wealth of talent in attacking positions and has already marked his territory by hanging the armband around the biceps of Warren Zaire-Emery, only 17 years old. Rayan Cherki, creator and scorer of a goal, and Elye Wahi, with his double, have already distinguished themselves against the Danes. It must be said that the young talents seem overmotivated by the presence of the former French international, whom they describe as a “legend” in front of each microphone held out by the media.

If they form the most scrutinized generation of Hopes, the Bleuets will first move away from the French spotlight. Of their first four qualifying matches, three will be played away. After this trip to the port city of Koper, they will meet in Bosnia on October 13, before receiving Cyprus four days later and leaving for Austria in mid-November.