If France wants to avoid the mistakes that led to their elimination from Euro 2020 in the round of 16, Adrien Rabiot thinks they must “stay united.”
France entered the competition as the defending world champions, and they won their group after competing in a challenging pool with Portugal and Germany.
However, their season was shockingly ended when Switzerland scored twice in stoppage time to tie the game at three and force extra time.
Then, Kylian Mbappe missed the key penalty in the shootout, and France was eliminated amid rumors of unrest in the locker room.
After the loss to Switzerland, there was apparently conflict in Rabiot’s family as well, with his mother allegedly arguing with the relatives of Mbappe and Paul Pogba.
They brought up memories of France’s stunning defeat at the 2010 World Cup, where Les Bleus were marred by several contentious situations and failed to advance past the group stage.
Rabiot agreed that if France wants to keep their World Cup title, they cannot continue to self-destruct like they did in the past.
Rabiot’s comment
“We have to stay united,” Rabiot told reporters. “[We need to] try to have as few things as possible that interfere with the group.
“It is essential to have a serene climate. We have the potential to do much better than at the Euros.”
The Juventus midfielder wants to make an impact at his first World Cup in Qatar after not being chosen for France’s squad for their victory in 2018.
“The [2018] World Cup was a big disappointment,” Rabiot explained. “I worked a lot to be there in 2022.
“I take this as a chance and I’m going to be able to express myself.”
France’s first World Cup fixture
France kick off their tournament against Australia on Tuesday, before also facing Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.
