France leadership must be rebuilt according to World Cup-winning defender | OneFootball

The time for rebuilding the leadership group of Les Bleus is now, according to a former long-time left-back. Bixente Lizarazu was a mainstay for France in the late 90s and mid-2000s, winning the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 while also winning two Confederations Cup titles as a player.

In a recent column for L’Équipe, Lizarazu said this group can no longer lean on the leadership of Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane or Antoine Griezmann, all of whom have retired from international football, and it’s time to see who will emerge as the leader of this group.

Didier Deschamps’ squad seems to be going through a transitional period. Naming Kylian Mbappé ascaptain was a major point of contention after the 2022 World Cup, and with the Real Madrid striker not in the team for these UEFA Nations League fixtures, it’s caused many to wonder who can put this team on their shoulders.

In terms of the armband, that honour will go to Mbappé’s club teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni, against Israel on Thursday at least.

According to Lizarazu, the team needs players in every area of the pitch to lead, but who those individuals may be is still a mystery.

The former UEFA Champions League winner at Bayern Munich adds that given the trying season that Mbappé went through both physically and mentally for club and country, giving him a break may not be such a bad thing.

Over a dozen players chosen for Les Bleus for this international window are 25 years old or under, with Loïc Badé being the only uncapped player.

France will face Israel on Thursday before taking on Belgium on matchday four of their UEFA Nations League campaign on October 14.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre