'Next Zinedine Zidane' Antoine Griezmann can fire France to World Cup glory, says Marcel Desailly

EXCLUSIVE
Leading light: Griezmann was named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016
REUTERS
James Benge14 June 2018

World Cup winner Marcel Desailly has challenged Antoine Griezmann to be his generation’s Zinedine Zidane as France target a repeat of their triumph 20 years ago.

Didier Deschamps’ France side are among the favourites for the World Cup and have perhaps the most formidable attack in the tournament, including Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar.

In a squad as talented as any France have fielded since they won the World Cup and European Championships in 1998 and 2000 Atletico Madrid's Griezmann is perhaps the star name, though whether he can be as influential as Zidane was to those sides - and the beaten finalists of 2006 - remains to be seen.

The 27-year-old was voted player of the tournament at Euro 2016, when hosts France were beaten by Portugal in the final, but Desailly is convinced the best is yet to come from Griezmann.

He told Standard Sport: “Was he amazing at the Euros? I don’t know. He still has a big margin of progression. He can still do much better.

“Payet was around him at the time and he was not taking the lead for the offensive animations. Payet took a little bit from him.

“Now we expect him to be the Zidane that everyone in France knows he can be.”

Griezmann’s preparation for the tournament have been overshadowed by ongoing speculation over his future, with Barcelona said to be leading the chase to secure his signature from Atletico Madrid.

The forward said at a press conference earlier this week that he had made his mind up over where he would be playing next season but declined to reveal it to the world.

Star man: Griezmann is expected to shine in Russia
AFP/Getty Images

Desailly is familiar with the spectre of transfer talk during a World Cup summer - he moved from AC Milan to Chelsea in 1998 - but expects Griezmann to put his future to one side.

“He has made his decision already,” Desailly said. “The price of buying him, the salary, is already set. We know his ability, we know his skills. He won’t be moving to another country. It shouldn’t have a major effect on him.

“However many players have been affected by this transfer issue before the World Cup, including me. I wanted to resolve it before the tournament began. I had many opportunities, including Liverpool, but I wanted London and Chelsea because it was a new adventure.

“For him it’s a question of if he has the desire to prove he can be the best at another club.”

Expectations are building in France after the near miss of 2016, with the past two years having seen the likes of Mbappe, Lemar and Ousmane Dembele emerge to further reinforce

However Desailly insists that France should only be considered “fifth favourites” - after Brazil, Spain, Germany and Argentina - not that that has stopped Les Bleus from lifting the World Cup for a second time.

“We were not the best, exactly like France is now,” the 49-year-old said of the 1998 side which triumphed of home soil. “The Dutch were better. The Argentinians were better. The Brazilians were better.

"But we made it because, the same as France [must do] now, we managed to capture that huge pressure that we had and project it into performances.

“That was what made the difference, having the capacity and maturity to go for the win.

“That generation was meant to win this World Cup. The preparation, the leadership we had in the team, the cleverness of our coach all conspired to get us there.”

As for who they might face in the Luzhniki Stadium next month, Desailly is desperate for a repeat of that famous Stade de France showdown, even if he doesn't wish the red card he received that night on any of his successors.

“I just want them in the final against Brazil.

“For me Tite’s team are the best in the tournament and, for the memory of the 20th anniversary, it would be perfect.”

Uber Eats is helping Andrea Pirlo find a team to support this summer, join in on social media with #TeamForPirlo

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