Adrien Rabiot answered journalists’ questions in preparation for the match between France and the Netherlands, part of the 2nd round of the Euro 2024 group stage.
His Form: “I played a very good 70 minutes, I didn’t have any discomfort in my calf. Physically, I’m doing well. Maybe I was fresher after the break. There are people behind me to replace me, and that’s important, it’s a relief for us starters.”
Partnership with Kanté: “The instructions we received are not to push forward too much at the beginning, but to be more involved in ball recovery to support the attacking players. I like to go forward and I was able to do that during the game. But the coach asks us to stay quite secure. With Kanté, the tasks were well distributed and we were effective in recovery. We had a very good game overall.”
Griezmann: “I like Antoine. I think he will continue to grow throughout the competition. He can do more, especially compared to the 2022 World Cup when he was in great form. Like the rest of the team, he needs to keep working.”
His Experience at Juve: “My time at Juve has done me a lot of good. Being with great players and part of an institution like Juve makes you grow.”
Kanté: “I saw it when he played at Chelsea, so I’m not surprised. He continues to be fantastic in everything he does on the field. He never complains, never refuses to do anything. He’s in great form.”
His Future: “I thought my future would be resolved before the Euro. That’s not the case, but it doesn’t worry me. I’m focused on the competition. I’ve put that aside. I’m talking to my agent, but that’s in the background and I’m fully focused on the French team. (…) I’m not worried about my future.”
The Elections: “It’s important in the sense that we represent the French team. It’s also the future of France at stake, and it’s a very important matter. Everyone is free to think what they want and to give their opinion. What we want to do is tell people to go vote, not let others choose for them. I’m not going to cast my vote, but this is a democracy and we have to accept it. Whoever gets the most votes will be chosen by the people. But we can’t let that interfere within the group, we have a competition to manage. If we could put that aside for a while, it would be good.”
Thiago Motta: “He’s a great coach, has done very good things in Italy since he’s been there. We played together for several seasons. But that won’t be a determining factor in my choice because he has his career and I have mine. In any case, he’s a great choice for Juventus.”
Mbappé: “I know he’s uncertain, but he’s not out yet. But he’s obviously a very important player and that will have an impact, especially on the opponent’s preparation. But we have an exceptional squad. On the bench, we have more than enough resources to replace Kylian. I have full confidence in our quality on the bench.”
Recent Matches: “We were very good in the game where we scored four goals, we were very effective. We were a bit less effective against Austria. If we put the same intensity as we did against Austria and are as solid, we can really make a difference.”