- Title: Nov. 13 attacks linger in France soccer team's memory, captain Hugo Lloris says
- Date: 10th November 2016
- Summary: SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 10, 2016) (REUTERS) FRENCH TEAM PLAYERS STANDING IN PITCH PLAYERS RUNNING ACROSS PITCH MIDFIELDER, PAUL POGBA, RUNNING DEFENDER, LAURENT KOSCIELNY, RUNNING STRIKER, OLIVIER GIROUD, RUNNING KOSCIELNY AND STRIKER, DIMITRI PAYET, RUNNING FRENCH TEAM CAPTAIN, HUGO LLORIS, IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TEAM CAPTAIN, HUGO LLORIS, SAYING: "In a way, we are bound by this tragedy, us players and you, you were also there. It's a tragic event. As we have been saying, we always have to look ahead and try to turn the page, even if this event will stay, linger in our memories, probably for life." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TEAM CAPTAIN, HUGO LLORIS, SAYING: "I think it's really difficult to replace a great player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. There are also other important players missing, with a lot of experience, like Kim Kallstrom or others. But we can say a new generation is coming, who were the Under-21 European Champions. So, there's talent, it's a team under reconstruction but we can see that they adapt very quickly to this new situation since they are on top of the group with us. They will have a word to say in these qualifiers." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS FRENCH TEAM COACH, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TEAM COACH, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, SAYING: "On paper and in reality, the Swedish team with Zlatan is more competitive. He stopped his international career but there are other players, other strikers who are here. They are not Zlatan, I won't tell you anything new, but they also have skills. And collectively, it is a very well organized team and who knows its strategy." JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TEAM COACH, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, SAYING: "I like young people. And talent has no age." JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TEAM COACH, DIDIER DESCHAMPS, SAYING: "If I chose Thomas Lemar, it's because I know that he has the skills, he already had them last year and he improved them during the year. He is a player who can play on both sides, he can also play in the middle. Right now, he's stabilising on the sides, either left or right so after Kingsley Coman was ruled out, I called him back to have him with us for the next two games." LLORIS TRAINING FRENCH FLAG HANGING IN STADIUM VARIOUS OF PLAYERS DOING STRETCHING EXERCISES PLAYERS DOING DRILLS WITH BALL MIDFIELDER, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, RUNNING AND PLAYING WITH BALL DESCHAMPS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS MIDFIELDER, THOMAS LEMAR, PLAYING WITH BALL VARIOUS OF PLAYERS WITH BALL
- Embargoed: 25th November 2016 18:53
- Keywords: November 13 soccer France Sweden Zlatan Worldcup
- Location: SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE
- City: SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00157V52RR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France will be facing Sweden in the group stage of the World Cup qualifier on Friday (November 11), almost a year after the deadly attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people.
Three suicide bombers detonated explosives at entrances to the Stade de France and a nearby restaurant on November 13, while France were playing Germany in an international friendly. A truck driver died in the vicinity.
"In a way, we are bound by this tragedy, us players and you, you were also there. It's a tragic event. As we have been saying, we always have to look ahead and try to turn the page. This event will stay, it will linger in our memory, probably for life", captain Hugo Lloris said on the eve of their match.
The Euro 2016 runners-up will play in their home stadium again, at the top of Group A, level with Sweden with seven points, followed by Netherlands on four.
With only one team guaranteed a place in the 2018 finals in Russia, Friday's match could be key to the final positions in the group.
France will face a Swedish team who is coping with the departure not only of star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic Sweden, but also two other experienced players, midfielder Kim Kallstrom and goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.
"I think it's really difficult to replace a great player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic…but we can say a new generation is coming, who were the Under-21 European Champions. Therefore, there's talent, it's a team under reconstruction but we can see that they adapt very quickly to this new situation since they are on top of the group with us. They will have a word to say in these qualifiers," Lloris said.
Coach Didier Deschamps did not overstate Ibrahimovic's absence either.
"There are other players, other strikers who are here. They are not Zlatan…but they also have skills. And collectively, it is a very well organized team who knows its strategy," Deschamps said.
Bayern Munich forward Kingsley Coman has suffered an ankle injury and will be replaced by Monaco star Thomas Lemar.
"I know that he has the skills, he already had them last year and he improved them during the year. He is a player who can play on both sides, he can also play in the middle. Right now, he's stabilizing on the sides, either left or right," Deschamps said of the 20-year-old midfielder Lemar.
Also in Group A are Bulgaria, Belarus and Luxembourg. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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