Turnover expected against Belgium
“There will be changes, that’s for sure. How much ? You will see it tomorrow (Monday). With four matches in a short time, especially this one with the Türkiye-Belgium trip, we will rotate. I’m not going to give anything in the way of information, I have to look at the interest of your team (smile).”
His goal against Belgium
“Everything is important, but the most important thing is to get to know yourself. We traveled to Türkiye, we had treatment and we thought more about that than training because we didn't have time. But you have to prepare well for the matches. We are here to win, all competitors.”
What he expects from Dembélé captain
“Honestly, he already does it. He is vice-captain, but he has this role of captain, even when he is not. You can feel it. He's a good guy, always there for others. You have to take advantage of your experience. I expect something from everyone, not just the captains. It’s a group that lives well. I see them, they are happy to be together, it’s the French team, there are beautiful posters. That’s what I tell them, you have to enjoy the moment. Football goes so fast, I'm 54, I can't play anymore. It flies! The French team is so beautiful, I want them to experience these moments.”
His memories in Brussels
“When I arrived, I didn’t have the reflex to tell myself that I had played here. It was Fabien (Barthez) who told me. I had forgotten. It was a Euro semi-final against Portugal, a good time.”
His view of Belgium
“It’s a very good team which had a very good World Cup (quarter-final, defeat against Spain, Editor’s note). We know we will have a difficult match tomorrow. That's what's interesting. There are beautiful posters, we want to play these matches when we are competitors.
His time in Bruges in training
“Everything in my training impacted me. In Bruges, we were well received, with beautiful facilities. We know the Belgians, benevolent and friendly, it’s still a good time.”
Dembélé from PSG visible in Blues?
“Our first match, that’s what he did, I didn’t invent anything. He played in his position. Tomorrow is another match. We'll see who plays. Ousmane, has a very interesting volume of play. Playing like that, he has an incredible burst of energy, over the course of the match, he can play 90 minutes easily. (On his appearance) We speak directly to each other. He's good, happy to be there. He could even play all four matches, that's not what we're going to do, but he can. I gave you some information (laughs).”
Dry cleaning, one of his mantras
“It was done well (against Turkey). We can improve, we will improve. Quickly recover the ball and have it. Running with it and not running behind the ball, that’s what I want.”
If he would have liked to play with Cherki
“Yes, I would have liked to play with him. A ball player. But everyone knows that. What interests me is what he can do without the ball. He can receive balls between the lines. When he plays vertically, it’s interesting, he breaks the lines. He is capable of doing that, he does it very well.”
His memories with Hazard
“We meet and we have crossed paths. He doesn't live very far from me. I would have liked him to do something else for himself first of all, after what he did at Chelsea. He had physical problems and couldn't give his all. I have good memories of him as a player and as a person.
