Despite the fact that France have entered the Euro 2020 as heavy favorites to win, recent occurrences in Didier Deschamps' camp indicate that all is not well in paradise. The Frenchmen will come against Switzerland at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest on Monday, June 28, 2021, at 3:00 PM (ET) in the UEFA European Championship 2020 Knockout Stage.
However, it will be the ultimate test for them as they aim to qualify to the Quarter-Finals in spite of their left-back injury woes, and they have to prove that whatever happened between Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud is already history.
Les Bleus have been unbeaten so far in the tournament despite only claiming one victory over Germany 1-0 in the Group Stage. In the next two matches, they drew 1-1 with Hungary and 2-2 with Portugal. These results may have got them into the next phase but it is a fact that not everything is rosy for them, especially since strikers Mbappe and Giroud got into a public conflict.
Euro 2020: Why did France duo Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud have a spat?
Giroud's comments over an alleged lack of service during France's pre-Euro preparational International Friendly against Bulgaria seemed to have touched a raw nerve with his international teammate. It all started on June 15, when the Chelsea striker stated he wasn't getting the service he deserved, which some saw as a dig at the Paris Saint-Germain star.
After stepping up for Karim Benzema, Giroud netted a brace and a number of his teammates went to him to celebrate, but not Mbappe, who seemed to be heading the other way. "I was quiet because sometimes you make a run and the balls just don’t arrive. I don’t always pretend to make the right calls, but I have tried hard to give solutions in the area," Giroud told L'Équipe.
It is believed that the 34-year-old's words generated a lot of chaos in the national team, angering the PSG forward, but he eventually shined the light on the matter. He expressed his unhappiness with Giroud's public criticism but claimed that it would have no influence on France's attempt to lift a back-to-back major tournament trophy.
“I spoke with Olivier Giroud. Everyone knows what happened. It is true that I was a little affected by it, But we are not going to make a big deal about it because we are here to represent France, that is the most important thing. It is more that he said it publicly than the fact that he said it. I saw him in the dressing room and he didn’t say anything to me. He expressed a feeling that I have had 365 times during a match," said the 22-year-old shining star at a press conference.
