“I don’t know if I’d call it a ‘mission,’ but we all know we can only relax if we win it,” he said. “We can’t let our guard down until then. We still have a lot to prove if we want to be recognised as an ‘invincible team.'”
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot said the players always 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.”
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‘Final before the final’
Spain, meanwhile, have reaffirmed their status as one of the world’s elite under Luis de la Fuente. After a slow start to the tournament, La Roja have steadily gathered momentum, dispatching Austria, Portugal and Belgium on their route to the semi-finals while conceding just one goal throughout the competition.
Spain have consistently lined up in a 4-3-3 formation under de la Fuente, a system built around midfield control, technical quality and relentless pressing.
Their trademark possession-based football is the exact contrast to France’s and has been complemented by the pace and creativity of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, while Rodri and Pedri continue to dictate matches from midfield.
“It’s not an exaggeration to describe this match as a final before the final,” coach de la Fuente said.
On the Spanish side, all eyes will likely be on Yamal, who has been trying to reach form through the tournament.
“I believe if France has to fear anyone, it should be us, in my opinion,” Yamal said after Spain’s quarterfinal victory over Belgium. “We were the ones that knocked them out before.”
Similarly, Rodri tried to balance things out, saying La Roja can beat them.
“France are one of the best teams here, in great form, but so are we,” Spain midfielder Rodri said. “We can beat them. We’ve seen that at the Euros and in the Nations League.”
With both play styles on different sides of the spectrum, Spain and France represent a clash of identities, with La Roja expected to dominate possession while Les Bleus unleash their trademark high-pressure game.
