France coach Didier Deschamps has made his decision on who will be the new captain of the national side.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and Raphael Varane were the captain and vice-captain respectively, but both players have retired from international football after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
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It has been confirmed that Deschamps had come to the decision to make Kylian Mbappe his captain at the age of 24.
Deschamps also confirmed that Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann will be the new vice captain.
??Official | Kylian Mbappé (24) has been announced as France captain, and Antoine Griezmann (32) has been appointed vice-captain. https://t.co/dnQptYRKZL
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) March 21, 2023
1998 World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry feels Deschamps has to pick Mbappe, otherwise the player would be upset with the decision.
"He's going to want it. You can't go against what Mbappé is going to want. Let's take the opposite scenario: imagine you don't give the armband to Mbappé. What will his reaction be? I'm sure it won't be good, that he'll be upset, affected, that he'll draw conclusions like "no one believes in me," Dugarry told Rothen S'Enflamme
"'Mbappé, he's a bit of a spoiled child, he's going to be captain at PSG next year, he has to be at the centre of the project, of the conversation. This is not a criticism of him, he is able to live up to it. He likes that, it gives him value, he likes to be at the forefront. So giving him the armband is another step in his accomplishments. For him, it's normal."
"And then we can't give it to Griezmann. Because if it's not Mbappé it will be Griezmann. Griezmann, he's the good friend. If you don't give him the armband, it doesn't matter, there's no problem. He's a player in the shadows, who is ready to make efforts for the team, which embodies the sense of the collective.
"Mbappé, he does not yet have that mentality. He is looking for titles, glory, it galvanises him. So I think it would be a mistake to upset Mbappé. He has the capacity to assume this captaincy without any problem. Aside from that, I don't know him personally.
"In the dressing room, is he capable of having this role of leader, I cannot express on this issue because I do not know him personally enough. But he is a technical leader, on the pitch. Zizou who was not a big talker managed to assume this leadership like that. I think it would be a logical continuation that would do good for Mbappé, our best player."
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