Pushing the “air conditioning” at full throttle is therefore not the only remedy to fight against the stifling heat of Doha. This Saturday, the breath of fresh air that blew through the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium had nothing to do with the disputed artifices that are customary to be used in the four corners of the Emirate. In the press room of the Blues training center, Youssouf Fofana was indeed responsible for bringing, thanks to his relaxation, his disarming sincerity and his deadpan humor, a little lightness to this end of the weekend. Qatari end.
In the wake of Axel Disasi, just as frank but wiser, his partner from AS Monaco surprised and then amused the 180 or so media who came to hear the secrets of two “rookies” from the French team. As a newcomer, he first confided that he was there “to discover”, specifying that at “23 or 30 years old, a first international competition is an important step whatever happens” But the Monegasque environment did not did not fail to specify, just to make things clear, that “as a competitor, [il] was going like the other 25 in the squad, trying to scrape a place in the starting XI. »
Asked about Ousmane Dembélé, the Barcelona striker whom he considers “impressive” and a vector of “permanent danger in the opposing 30 meters”, Fofana began to make his audience smile by assuring that he was observing his partner of the Blues “from away, like a spectator. »
“You have to put on blue shoes”
But after only two months in the France team and two small selections on the clock, the native of Paris surprised by showing himself completely sealed off from the thrill of his first steps in selection. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to feel a few emotions because I went straight into competitive mode,” he explained frankly. I didn’t have time to do it at Clairefontaine. And there, the competition starts in three days, it’s not now that I’m going to take the time to savor. You have to put on the blue heater. “And to explain:” This comes from my past and the path traveled, since I was 18 it goes very quickly for me. I learned to manage my emotions and move on. »
A sincerity that he declined to the astonishment of some observers to see him on the list for the World Cup. “The surprise may be effective for you, he launched with a smile to the journalists. But since I’ve been in Monaco, I’ve been working to hook the France team. It happened just before this big competition. I proved myself, the coach validated … ”he assured in a burst of laughter, as if everything was normal.
It was enough to open the door to a speech whose detachment and humor lightened the atmosphere at the end of the day. “I reassure you, with the kilos that I have already lost, I can tell you that there is still a little preparation,” he joked at the mention of the short time available to the Blues to prepare for their entry into the running. A second degree again when tackling the bosses in the middle. His friend Aurélien Tchouaméni “who plays like a grown-up now” that he has joined Real Madrid. But also the absentees, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, whom the younger generation will have the heavy task of having to replace. “You are right to ask yourself questions”, he agreed before continuing on a perfect opposite. “But when they started in Blue, they didn’t have more than us. So we’re going to do everything to accumulate as much experience as possible so that in 5-6 years, when I’ll be in front of you again, you won’t be surprised this time. »
Amused to have to debrief his first selection, the one where he “could have put a hat-trick or at least a return”, Youssouf Fofana also took his interlocutor from the back when he asked him if he felt close to a course at the Chuameni. “Today, I especially feel close to starting in Monaco,” he replied with a smile. A sense of repartee which explains how the Monegasque is preparing to manage the pressure linked to his first World Cup. “It’s simple, I told those around me not to read what is written about me, he laughs. I read it, but to pass the time. I admit that I don’t necessarily like everything, but as long as none of you become coaches, it doesn’t bother me! »