How France staff fought FIFA to ease pre-match travel constraints | OneFootball

The France staff have negotiated with FIFA to curb pre-match travel demands at the World Cup, reshaping plans in New York, Philadelphia and Boston.

According to L'Équipe, FIFA requires the head coach and, in principle, one player to attend a news conference at the stadium on the eve of the game, yet training there that day is forbidden.

Tensions rose after March’s US tour exposed the travel burden, notably towards Boston, where France face Norway on 26 June.

Plans are now more complex. For France-Senegal in New York on 16 June, kick-off 21:00 French time, the squad must fly on Sunday evening, with Didier Deschamps and likely Kylian Mbappé to speak at 10:30 local, 18:30 in France, at the Metlife Stadium on Monday.

France will train at Melanie Lane in New Jersey at 16:00 local, 22:00 in France, then return to Boston on the night of the match.

In Philadelphia, where they meet Iraq on 22 June, kick-off 23:00, logistics are simpler. Boston poses the greater issues. On the eve of France-Norway on 26 June in Foxborough, only Deschamps will speak south of Boston, while the selected player will speak at Bentley University shortly before training.

Usually more open to the media than most Ligue 1 clubs, France could be more withdrawn in the group stage. After Friday’s open session, 10 of the 12 training sessions before France-Norway on 26 June will be behind closed doors or open only for the first quarter-hour.

Source: L'Équipe