Didier Deschamps: “We don’t choose the atmosphere. You, the media, are heavily involved.” | OneFootball

Speaking at the French National Sports Museum in Nice this week, France coach Didier Deschamps, as quoted by Nice-Matin, discussed a rocky build up to next month’s World Cup in Qatar.

Can this atmosphere around the FFF and the France team be an issue?“We don’t choose the atmosphere. You, the media, are heavily involved, positively or negatively. It’s always been like that, even during my first life as a player. Sometimes it was peaceful, sometimes there were stories… The important thing is that, internally, we have peace and serenity. But, if you could manage to talk only about football in the coming days and weeks, that would be appreciated.”

Controversies around the organization in Qatar have resurfaced, could this affect the event?“More have of late, but, if I remember correctly, it’s been ten years since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar. The media exposure will get stronger as the competition gets closer… Everyone is free to say what they want. We work in the sporting arena, but that doesn’t mean that we’re disconnected from reality. Through our federation, and all federations, we have a duty to be very vigilant about everything that happens and to ensure that conditions are right for a great football party… I’m not here to comment on reports. I can tell you that, throughout the federation, everything is being done so that there’s maximum vigilance in relation to what will happen there. It concerns France and all the countries that will be present in Qatar.”