Didier Deschamps defends Randal Kolo Muani selection | OneFootball

Randal Kolo Muani’s (25) name being present in the France selection for EURO 2024 probably should not have been a surprise as Didier Deschamps can be notoriously loyal to his previous picks. However, after the season that Kolo Muani has had there was a sense that his form would force Deschamps to look elsewhere.

9 goals in 39 games since his summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt to Paris Saint-Germain is a worrying return for a player that cost €90 million. These numbers have been reflective of a forward who has looked completely off the pace since swapping the Bundesliga for Ligue 1.

Christopher Nkunku’s (26) recovery from injury looked like it might provide Deschamps with some food for thought, especially after the striker put in a match-winning performance against Brighton & Hove Albion. However, the France manager would ultimately side with the player who had replaced Nkunku at the 2022 World Cup.

‘With France, Randal Kolo Muani has a different environment’

Deschamps explained this decision “He’s not in a place of great confidence due to his transfer. [However,] we must not forget where he came from. With us, he has a different environment. He was already in this situation in March, which did not prevent him from having a very good match (against Chile).”

The manager continued to defend the choice, “You didn’t wonder if Olivier Giroud was going to be there. For years, he played little or nothing with Chelsea […] the most important thing they know is what I expect of them. Obviously, there is a significant gap between what Kolo Muani can do with PSG and what he is capable of doing with us.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland