The France manager is a veteran of major tournaments now - this being his sixth in charge- and feared a seemingly glittering midfield of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Adrien Rabiot would not be enough to go all the way in Germany.
His solution caused great surprise in France when he recalled N'Golo Kante, two years after his last cap.
Could the 33-year-old still play at the highest level after a season in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad?
The answer at these finals has been clear. Kante has been outstanding for France and will be key to their chances of beating Spain in tonight's heavyweight semi-final in Munich.
In a tournament in which France's success has been built on a solid defence and Spain's on free-flowing attack, tonight could be defined by the midfield battle between Kante, formerly the best midfielder in the world, and Spain's Rodri, the best right now.
Kante was crucial when France won the 2018 World Cup, his constant harrying and scurrying unsettling opponents. Six years on, he will have the same brief against Spain.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 09, 2024-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 09, 2024-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Dean is ready to push for glory again after being edged out of title defence
BEING asked to drape his Olympic gold medal over the neck of a Jack Russell by an exuberant owner is one of the more surreal moments Tom Dean faced after the last Games.
Norris: I'm not proud of how I behaved last week
THE headlines from the Hungarian Grand Prix were not of a McLaren onetwo, nor of Oscar Piastri’s first victory in Formula One.
Segro's green shoots for warehouse sector
THERE are signs the commercial property sector has turned a corner in the UK after warehouse developer Segro said it had seen the first rise in valuations for two years.
Post-election surge is on the way, says Rightmove chief
RIGHTMOVE today said it was prepared for a surge in property deals amid falling mortgage rates as the online real estate portal posted a rise in sales and profits.
A love affair with a pop star gone horribly wrong that puts #MeToo centre stage
YOU may have noticed a recent trend in fan fiction-inspired stories of love affairs with pop stars.
I use headphones every day and this is the question that makes me shudder
IT IS the question I fear most in life.
Thanks Kamala, brat summer is over already
WITH all due respect, the moment Kamala Harris co-opted the brat aesthetic for her presidential campaign, brat summer was over.
Distrust the bellicose prophets of doom with their bad history
THERE is an air of the Old Testament prophets over the latest dire military and strategic warnings in Britain and America about the need to prepare for war with Russia and China by 2027.
Thieves steal £185,000 diamond watch
A mother was robbed of her £185,000 designer watch in front of her children in a \"terrifying\" mugging outside St Pancras station.
'Paris will be wrecked by the Olympic Games'
Locals in the French capital have been pushed to the edge by intense traffic, the closure of bridges and metro stations, and 6ft barriers lining the streets in preparation for the upcoming Games. No wonder they're fleeing the city
