France’s secret weapon: the conversations nobody else hears

France’s march to the World Cup semi-finals has been powered by the goals of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, but the players believe an equally important part of their success has been forged away from the cameras, in hotel rooms and private conversations without the coaching staff. Didier Deschamps’ side face Spain on Tuesday seeking to reach a third successive World Cup final, having developed a unity that midfielder Adrien Rabiot and defender Jules Kounde say extends well beyond tactical meetings and training sessions. The players analyse matches together in small groups, challenging each other and taking responsibility for finding solutions beyond those provided by Deschamps and his assistants. “We communicate a lot and talk among ourselves regularly,” Rabiot told reporters on Monday. “At the hotel, during our downtime, we try to analyse matches together in small groups. That is important, beyond everything the coach and his staff provide. “We all speak the same language, we all have the same objective and everyone is directing their energy towards it. What the staff bring us is essential, but the dialogue between the players, without the staff being involved, is important as well.” That sense of ownership has helped France combine one of the tournament’s most potent attacks with a collective defensive effort that begins with the forwards. Mbappe has scored eight goals and Dembele five, but Kounde said France’s work without the ball had been as important as their individual quality in possession. “We have done a good job defensively, but it goes well beyond the defenders,” Kounde said. “It is a collective effort, starting with the way we press from the opposition’s very first pass. When the work is done properly higher up the pitch and in midfield, it makes our job at the back much easier.” France’s cohesion has been visible in the willingness of their attacking players to track back and in the discipline with which the team have defended difficult moments. STRONG RELATIONSHIPS The players insist that what happens on the pitch is an extension of relationships built elsewhere. “We get on very well,” Rabiot said. “There is a real sense of harmony and genuine cohesion. “It is difficult to explain, but things work extremely well away from the pitch, and that energy carries over onto it.” Kounde described a group that enjoyed playing together and making sacrifices for one another. “There has been a strong sense of cohesion since the very beginning — even going back to 2022,” he said. “There is continuity within this group. It has been built over time, and everyone is focused on the same objective. “That is one of our strengths, and you can feel it on the pitch. We enjoy playing together and we also enjoy making the effort for one another.” France’s run has also taken place against the backdrop of Deschamps’ decision to step down after the tournament, ending a reign that began in 2012 and included victory at the 2018 World Cup and another final four years later. The coach’s mother died during the group stage. Rabiot said the knowledge that this was Deschamps’ final competition had given the players an additional emotional drive. “The difficulties the coach has gone through have brought us even closer together,” he said. “You want to give everything, especially knowing that this is his last competition in charge of the France team. This is the moment.”