Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2022

85 84 tired. What are you expecting as a fan? A tough tournament and quality! Players at their best level, players ready in every detail. In addition, there’s no supremacy. I was watching Brazil against Tunisia. Yes, Brazil was amazing, but you know, as soon as a tournament starting, it’s a different story. For this edition, teams don’t have much time for preparation. I want to say something about preparation. Preparation is good and bad. Most of the time, you are losing the player during the preparation because the pressure starting to grow. You could lose some players because of pressure. You can be the best scorer of your league, your club. When the preparation for the World Cup is arriving, it is totally different. The World Cup is a long ride, and you don’t have so much time to prepare. What if you were the player now playing this World Cup? What would you be thinking of now at this moment, this close to a FIFA World Cup? I will be honest; I will not think so much. I’m waiting to play a tournament like that all my life. I will think about nothing, just to play. I know that I have been preparing myself for a long time to arrive ready and with a positive mindset. It’s tougher though these days, isn’t it? The players now are still taking part in their own domestic leagues. Is that helpful to them as they prepare for the World Cup? For some yes! I was watching Neymar playing for PSG and Brazil. He is on the top of his form, like he was not before. It’s good for him and most of the players understand that this is a special World Cup. It’s coming in the middle of the season. You can watch all the top players, they are ready to play and to make a special World Cup. How and when are players going to recover for the tournament, especially older players? Should I bring 26 players? Should I bring 23? What kind of team will I present for the first, the second game? Preparation will be very short and the more games you play, the more pressure, the more difficult it is to manage the group. The group is starting to have pressure between players as well. I think what will be important is not just the coaches but also the staff in general. How will coaches look at star players during the competition? Do you start with your best player, or do you bring him on as a “Game Changer” as Jill Ellis said? The most important is the first game of the tournament. You must win the first game, even if you play crap, even if it’s the worst game ever. The first game gives you the rhythm, the confidence. You can make some changes in the second game and to push for the tournament. So that is your experience as well. To emphasize a win at all costs? Yes, just win the game. I had the privilege and the chance to have two World Cups, 1998 and 2002. Two different World Cups. One we won and the second one, we left after 3 games. I realized that it was normal because the preparation for the second tournament in 2002 was really bad. We started very badly in the opening game against Senegal. The dynamic of the team was not there anymore. This is a compact World Cup. You won’t have to travel because everything is so close. Will this be beneficial? Will it create more pressure? Good pressure because you will feel the crowd, the fans around your area. You will see the reality of the tournament. You’re not outside and living in a bubble. Sometimes living in a bubble is good, but you are losing the reality that is a World Cup. The World Cup is a difficult exercise. You should take care of everything, the bad crowd, the good crowd, the pressure of the media and the pressure of your team. As a player, you should not lose your energy on the hotel location, the size of the room, the room service, or whatever. You’re here to focus on playing. Qatar is going to play on home soil in their first World Cup. You’re talking about the impact of the supporters, the fans of the home team, the home nation. Is it a good pressure or a bad pressure? In 1998, we have the bad pressure from the journalists and the good pressure from the fans. We are lucky in football because every three days we have a different game. It could be a disaster game and then the pressure is coming. 3 days after you play very well and suddenly you become the hero. Qatar will leave a fantastic experience because it’s the first time they host it. The 1st World Cup in Middle East. Qatar has nothing to lose! They will play against Ecuador, and it will be a very interesting game. Qatar has to play, play, play and give enthusiasm to people. It’s a unique opportunity. What Qatar has done is to come together as a group and prepare specifically for a tournament, the World Cup. Is this something that will work? It should work. It should work because when you put so much effort in your preparation, in your team, in everything so it should work. Nevertheless, Football is not an exact science. Football’s developed a lot since you won the FIFA World Cup in 1998. Here we are with the developments of training methodology, the developments of technology and in the style of play as well. How different will it be? The development of football is very interesting and in a good way. Today, the players have so much support in terms of nutrition, technique, physically, mentally, and this is very important if you want to improve. At the end, what I really like, it’s the use of your responsibility. At what moment should I take my responsibility? If my coach put me on the field, it’s because he trusts me and he believes in me. I’m going to tell you a story. Zidane scored the second goal with his head. He scored the first goal from a corner kick on the right side. Emmanuel Petit shoots the corner, Zidane score the goal, 1-0 for France. Second corner. Normally on the left side, right shooter, Zidane is usually taking the corner. I went to him, and I said, “No, I take it, you already score one goal with your head.” On the board is written Zidane on corner and Youri on the edge of the box waiting for the second ball. No, let me take the ball and kick the corner. We could have a counterattack. It could be 1-1. I took the corner and Zidane scored. This is the player’s responsibility. I had the trust of the coach and at that moment I felt the responsibility to take the corner. Today in modern football, there’s less responsibility of the player. They are scared or they are waiting for the coach to tell them. I would like to see more players’ responsibility on the field. I love players with strong character. It’s always easier to play with this kind of player than with a player who is not sure about it. I like strong people who can argue and can talk. Do you know why? Because the main focus of this player is on the victory. I like you or I don’t like you but I don’t care. I want to win. I know that with you, I will win. The reality of the game is to win the game and to have the best players on the field playing together to win. Does the current French team have that Recipe? Didier Deschamps is a master of managing a complicated situation. He already faced several stories: Benzema and Valbuena, now with Pogba and Mbappe. The power of Didier is to give the trust to the player regardless of what is happening outside the field. The federation is difficult in France. I spoke with him; he told me that the group is doing well together. Are there other nations you feel will have a big impact on this FIFA World Cup? Yes, France is a possible winner or Argentina. I think it would not be easy as we are thinking of all our favorite teams. Before Brazil, France, Argentina, or Germany were always seen as favorites. For this edition, we can have some surprises. Several teams have the coaches, the quality to win the World Cup. What does the FIFA World Cup mean to you? To always have an angle for the player, for football. This is important. We are lucky to have a President at FIFA, Gianni Infantino, who loves the player, who loves the game, who loves football. This is what is important to keep in mind. The World Cup in Qatar or tomorrow in US, Mexico, Canada, has to always be dedicated for the beauty of the game. This is what we’re trying to do at FIFA.