“I wanted to win the European Championship and do well in the tournament. Neither of them succeeded,” said the French captain after the semi-final exit from the European Championship.
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From Munich Mateusz Skwierowski
France lost to Spain 1-2, and finished the European Championship in Germany in the semi-finals. On the one hand, it is a good result, but on the other hand – French footballers have become accustomed to fighting for the highest goals in recent years. They reached the finals three times in the previous four tournaments. And in 2018, they became world champions.
The star of the “Tricolor” Kylian Mbappe came to Germany with one intention. – I wanted to win the European Championship and perform well in the tournament. Neither of these things worked. “I consider this result as a defeat,” said the captain of the French national team.
I need a break
“I’m disappointed with the result and my level,” said the new Real Madrid player. “The season was long and tiring. Unfortunately, we’re already on vacation, but the rest is definitely worth it. I wasn’t completely fit and I’m going home, and I have to accept it. I definitely need to rest too. I need to recover my freshness and have a good pre-season at the new club,” said Mbappé.
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In Munich, the French captain played without a mask for the first time since suffering a broken nose. He suffered the injury in the tournament’s first match against Austria. The footballer had previously spoken about how difficult it was to run with a mask on. He compared it to wearing 3D glasses. As he admitted, he had the impression that it wasn’t him running on the pitch.
Doctors expected Mbappé to be able to take off the mask after at least six weeks, but Mbappé did not wait even a month. – I was tired of it, I couldn’t see well on the pitch – he said after the match against Spain. – I spoke with the doctor and discussed what to do. He told me to make a man’s decision. “I don’t regret playing without a mask,” he commented.
Mbappé missed one game against the Netherlands in the group stage and the quarter-final defeat to Portugal on penalties. As soon as he sat down on the bench, he put a large bag of ice on his nose. The footballer described the experience as “terrifying”.
“should have been a goal”
Mbappé ended the European Championship with a single goal, scored against Poland from the penalty spot. With Spain, he also assisted Randal Kolo Muani’s goal. In the group stage, after the match, France beat Austria 1-0 after an own goal.
The player was disappointed with his shot at the end of the semi-final. He did everything right – passed his opponent, ran from the wing to the middle, was in a great position, but he shot high over the bar. – I think it should have been a goal. I should have definitely scored the goal – he admitted his disappointment.
The player admitted that Spain deserved to play in the final. – They played better than us. Mbappe added: “We had chances to make up for the loss, but we failed.”
In the second semi-final, the Netherlands will face England. The match will be held on Wednesday, July 10, at 9 pm.
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