After a disappointing entry of the B Bleues against Bosnia who scored a 2-0 win, the players of Jean-François Niemezcki were eager to show a different face. Despite the difficulty and having waited the hour of play, the Tricolores have corrected the misstep, winning a victory 2 goals to 0 against Croatia, confident before facing France. We exchanged with the coach to have his feelings on this meeting.


The summary of the match: Istria Cup (Day 2): The Blue B have learned the lesson


"annoyed, for my players who give a lot, without always having the reward of their efforts"


Coach we saw that you were rather annoyed by the game produced in the first half?

Yes a little annoyed, by having managed a very good training the day before, and not to find the same success, add to that some technical shortcomings ... and maybe I could seem annoyed, then it becomes a little "annoying" to play teams that systematically put you in the impact without trying to produce a bit of play. Even though the Croats showed more than the Bosnians, two days earlier. It was necessary to be their equal in the engagement and to remain in the nervous and technical control. And also annoyed, for my players who give a lot, without always having the reward of their efforts ... But that's also football, even life!

Yes maybe, so I could look "annoyed" (laughs) .... and a coach is always demanding.


"We are the team of France and even B, it subjugates the nations that play us"


These are teams that are not really used to see play especially on the international scene, in major competitions. Is that what explains the difficulty of passing them?

The difficulty comes from two factors, the first, we are the team of France and even B, it subjugates the nations that play us, and this optimizes their mistrust but also their motivation ... Second thing, they are learning and the the first thing a coach does is to reassure his players by shielding as much as possible, the defensive aspect, it is easier to counter than to build. These teams to emerge at the highest level, cultivate these principles. I only recall that the Bosnians were beaten in Great Britain 1-0 in the 80th minute. And if we had been more realistic, I think my young team would have planted a few goals for this [Bosnia and Herzegovina]. The hard part is often to open the score, again the evidence this afternoon, where many opportunities appeared after the opener.


"Like any B team, there is a much bigger turnover [of the players]"


Even if on your side you have a rather heterogeneous team, with very different profiles, who do not necessarily play elsewhere in their club, and who evolve in several clubs unlike the A for example. Can it also play in the harmony of the team?

This team [de France B] is not heterogeneous, its construction is heteroclite with some young players confirmed in their club and the D1. But also very young hopefuls with big potential who, they are in clubs with big ambitions, which often prefer, rightly or wrongly, to titularize confirmed and / or foreign players. This team is an excellent developer, to project them in the foreground and promote them by giving them playing time and international experience. And overall, this common strategy is pretty well experienced by all clubs. But on the contrary, I have more and more talented groups and more and more homogeneous. On the other hand, like any B team, there is a much greater turnover [of the players], with a kind of brewing that allows me to answer our dual mission: To mature very young talents to optimize the choices of Olivier , and also give a little play time and confidence to international youth temporarily a little less well. So yes, by this turn over, it is much more difficult to find automatisms, and cohesion. But it is also very instructive, for girls, since the main principles related to the high level remain the same."We were also more to the end in our actions."


In the second half the Croatians play higher, that's what also unlocked the situation on your side, to have more space? You also make several changes, is it something that is planned in advance in a match? We sometimes keep players with more impact in the second half? Like Romanelli, Morroni and the substitute who paid too is Diallo?

I do not think that the Croatians came spontaneously, we look for higher, it is the balance of power that has done that, and I think having observed our first match, with a start of the second half very average, they wanted to push us to blame. But we were also more to the end in our actions. It is especially thanks to this that we have been very dangerous and we also more consistent in our team block, so more efficient in recovery and the ability to project very quickly forward. It is true that the entry of Aminata [Diallo], brought us more impact and ability to recover the balloon, and that of Morroni who bears his name, namely "Pearl", brought us the percussion and a little more technical accuracy. Then after, it's the whole team that starts playing again. But also by the undermining work done by the whole group in the 2nd half. I think, that for this type of team, it's not easy to play us, too, they have to run a lot, put the impact to compete, and I'm lucky as I told you more high, to have a lot of homogeneity in my group, and I can make many changes without losing quality in the game, and keeping a consistent intensity. Add to this, different profiles, which can allow me to change the style of play ... A happiness for a coach ... When it works (laugh). For example, against the Bosnians, I used three game systems and two against the Croats, keeping a certain coherence in the game. The girls become more and more intelligent ... it is also thanks to the work of the poles and clubs.

When to finish, to talk about substitutions, it is true that in this kind of tournament, we can use strategies to play on the playing time, but also on the various animations, but there is always a margin of improvisation, since it's the game that dictates or not its truths.

A big satisfaction besides .... 18500 people who followed at one time or another the Facebook live [from the match on Soccer Network LLC] .... YESSS

Yes it's a nice audience. We put the goals on Twitter on our side and it was appreciated by some Blue including Amel Majri who did his scales with you.

Thanks to her and it's a pride when a B girl emerges in A and continues to follow the team.


Photo: Soccer Network LLC