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.
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Denne historien er fra July 09, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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