EURO qualifiers: Leader Kylian Mbappe seeks to be the ‘unifier’

By Sanjit Gupta

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Following the announcement of Hugo Lloris’ international retirement in January, Mbappe was appointed as the new captain of France.EURO qualifiers,schedule,world cup,table ,euro 2024 qualifying fixtures 

During his first press conference as the new captain of France, Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe stated that his primary responsibility will be to bridge the gap between the older and younger players in the squad.

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EURO qualifiers,euro 2024 qualifying fixtures

On Tuesday, following Hugo Lloris’ announcement of his retirement from international football in January, Mbappe was appointed as the new captain of France.

Coach Didier Deschamps assigned a specific task to Mbappe, who is 24 years old.

Mbappe stated that his coach has tasked him with being a unifying force and bringing the team together, as he sees himself as the link between the different generations within the squad.

Mbappe acknowledged that being the captain of his country is a significant responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. He stated that he will embrace this new role naturally and that it will not change the way he plays, but it may influence the way he conducts himself on and off the field.

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According to Mbappe, vice-captain Antoine Griezmann was not pleased with the decision to appoint him as the captain. Griezmann, who has been a loyal member of Deschamps’ squad, made his debut for France in 2014 and is 32 years old. EURO qualifiers,EURO qualifiers,schedule,world cup,table,euro 2024 qualifying fixtures,

Mbappe mentioned that he expected Griezmann’s reaction and understood his disappointment. He added that he would have reacted the same way in Griezmann’s position. Mbappe acknowledged Griezmann’s significant contributions to the team during the Deschamps era and clarified that he is not Griezmann’s superior in the hierarchy.

Mbappe expressed his willingness to work alongside Griezmann to help the team achieve success on a global level. He emphasized that he values Griezmann’s opinions and would listen carefully if he has something to share with the team.

Having been capped 66 times and played an instrumental role in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph and their second-place finish in 2022, Mbappe stated that he would bring a different approach to the captaincy than Lloris.

Mbappe stated that he does not believe the coach appointed him as the captain with the expectation that he would replicate Hugo’s approach.

Mbappe’s first game as the captain will be on Friday when France takes on the Netherlands at the Stade de France for their first Euro 2024 qualifier. Following that, they will play Ireland away on Monday.

Infection hits Holland 

A viral infection has resulted in the dismissal of five players from the Netherlands squad.

On Thursday, the Dutch federation announced that Cody Gakpo, a forward for Liverpool, Matthijs de Ligt, a defender for Bayern Munich, as well as Sven Botman, Joey Veerman, and Bart Verbruggen, had all departed from the training camp. No further details were provided regarding the reason for their departure.

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The departures were another blow to coach Ronald Koeman ahead of the first match of his second stint in charge of the national team.

Upon his arrival at Al Nassr in January, Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his surprise at the level of competitiveness in the Saudi Pro League.

He advised reporters to alter their perspective on the Saudi Pro League and clarified that he wasn’t claiming it to be on par with the Premier League, as that would be untrue.

The speaker expressed that despite not being at the level of the Premier League, the Saudi Pro League is a pleasantly competitive and well-balanced league with strong teams.

Ronaldo, who signed a two-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth €200 million euros ($214.71 million) with Al-Nassr, commented that he believed the Saudi Pro League has the potential to become the world’s fourth, fifth, or sixth most competitive league in the future.

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