Less than 24 hours to go for the final of the FIFA World Cup 2018. France manager Didier Deschamps doesn’t agree it will be easier to defend against Luka Modric than Lionel Messi or Eden Hazard as the Croatia star is “less mobile”.
Deschamps’ side will take on Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Modric’s form at the World Cup saw him tipped to win the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Deschamps sees no reason why France would have an easier time against the Real Madrid star. Deschamps said in the press conference,
“I’m sorry, but you probably didn’t see the same Modric as me if you think he is not mobile. He can play in the centre, not especially, but of course, he has technical qualities that are matched on the other side by Rakitic and his playing intelligence is huge. So he has a great influence on his team.”
“He’s not on the same register as Messi and Hazard as he is not as individual. He’s a midfielder, an attacking midfielder, but Hazard and Messi are proper forwards,” he added.
Deschamps, a World Cup-winner in 1998 coached this side to the final of Euro 2016 only for Portugal to break hearts in Paris with a 1-0 win. The 49-year old does not think memories of that defeat have had a huge impact on his World Cup squad.
However, he does hope those players will use the memory of that loss to strive for a more favourable outcome.
“The group is different to the group we had two years ago. Because 14 layers were not there two years ago. Those 14 new players have discovered what a great competition there is in Russia, so their experience is, of course, more limited.”
The world awaits to see if France can lift the FIFA World Cup 2018 this or it will be yet another heartbreak for Deschamps’ side.