Adil Rami makes comeback as French soccer team gears up for Euros

Record ID: 102019

  • Title: Adil Rami makes comeback as French soccer team gears up for Euros
  • Date: 25th May 2016
  • Summary: CLAIREFONTAINE, FRANCE (MAY 25, 2016) (REUTERS) FRENCH NATIONAL FOOTBALL MANAGER, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE PROGRAMME READING (French): "BLUE, WHITE, DREAM" NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH NATIONAL FOOTBALL MANAGER, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, SAYING: "I made a choice by calling back Adil (Rami) and directly including him in my list of 23 (players) in order to have more options for the centre-backs. Today, the situation is complicated but we never know what can happen during the first, second or third games, so I want to make sure we're ready to face any unexpected situations." VARIOUS OF FRENCH DEFENDER ADIL RAMI TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH NATIONAL FOOTBALL MANAGER, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, SAYING: "We're at almost 11 days before the start of the competition, so I will keep the group of 30 (players) until Saturday, then the reserves will leave on Sunday morning. The 22 (players) - and then 23 players because Antoine Griezmann is with Atletico Madrid for the Champions League final - will go to Nantes." PROGRAMME WITH LIST OF PLAYERS PLAYERS TRAINING DEFENDER PATRICE EVRA LEADING TRAINING MIDFIELDERS BLAISE MATUIDI AND PAUL POGBA AND STRIKER OLIVIER GIROUD TRAINING / MIDFIELDERS DIMITRI PAYET AND N'GOLO KANTE TRAINING GOALKEEPER HUGO LLORIS TRAINING DESCHAMPS TRAINING TEAM POGBA TRAINING FORWARD HATEM BEN ARFA TRAINING RAMI TRAINING TEAM TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2016 18:31
  • Keywords: Adil Rami Didier Deschamps Euro 2016 training football
  • Location: CLAIREFONTAINE, FRANCE
  • City: CLAIREFONTAINE, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014JB4WFZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As the Euro 2016 tournament approaches, coaches across Europe are having to make difficult decisions on who to leave out of their squads and who to take into the competition.
    The pressure is particularly acute for the manager of the hosts France, Didier Deschamps, who must whittle an initial squad of 30 down to a tournament-ready 23.
    So far, Deschamps is using a pragmatic, all-about-the-team approach to Euro 2016 as hosts France look to capture their first major title since Euro 2000.
    Deschamps, who captained Les Bleus in 1998 and 2000, left out Karim Benzema after the Real Madrid striker was embroiled in an alleged blackmail scandal and did not even consider Franck Ribery after the Bayern Munich forward hinted he could be willing to come back.
    Defender Mamadou Sakho was not considered, either, as Deschamps would not risk losing the Liverpool player to a suspension after he was provisionally banned for failing a dope test.
    In his stead, Deschamps has brought in Sevilla defender Adil Rami as cover at centre-back.
    Although Rami was not expected to make the squad, injury doubts concerning Real Madrid defender Rafael Varane and Barcelona's Jeremy Matheiu means the 30-year old veteran is part of Deschamps plans.
    Deschamps also confirmed that the squad will be trimmed to 23 on Saturday evening.
    France will kick off the month-long tournament on June 10 with their Group A opener against Romania before taking on Albania and Switzerland.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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