5 France players who flopped at Euro 2020

France v Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16
France v Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16

#3 Adrien Rabiot

France v Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16
France v Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16

It is hard to understand why France manager Didier Deschamps decided to start Adrien Rabiot as left wing-back against Switzerland, despite the availability of Leo Dubois in the squad.

A midfielder by trade, it quickly became evident that Rabiot was not suited to that role. The Juventus man did not enjoy a good Euro 2020, despite starting three games out of four.

Injuries to Lucas Digne and Lucas Hernandez saw Rabiot operate as a left-back as well at Euro 2020.

The 26-year old enjoyed a fairly good season at club level, but with emerging talents like Houssem Aouar, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, Rabiot's place in future France starting XIs might come under question.


#2 Benjamin Pavard

FC Bayern Muenchen v FC Augsburg - Bundesliga
FC Bayern Muenchen v FC Augsburg - Bundesliga

Benjamin Pavard made his name at the World Cup in 2018, with his performances as a marauding right-back for France earning him praise and a move to Bayern Munich from Stuttgart.

Capable of operating as a centre-back as well, Pavard struggled at Euro 2020. The 25-year old was the starting right-back for France at the tournament, but never looked truly comfortable against any opposition.

Pavard conceded a penalty against Switzerland last night, although Ricardo Rodriguez failed to convert it.

France's right-back situation needs a rethink. Didier Deschamps used Jules Kounde in that position against Portugal, but the Sevilla centre-back was less than impressive.


#1 Kylian Mbappe

France v Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16
France v Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16

Kylian Mbappe is a world-class footballer, and judging his talent on the back of four games would not be the right thing to do.

Having said that, Mbappe was arguably France's most disappointing performer at Euro 2020. The Paris Saint-Germain man failed to score a goal in the tournament and recorded just one assist.

He missed some crucial chances throughout Euro 2020, and it was his penalty that Yann Sommer saved in the shootout to ensure Switzerland progressed to the next round.

The 22-year old is one of the best footballers in the world, and has rightly been compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappe's Euro 2020 was poor in every possible way, but the forward has what it takes to silence his critics.


Also Read: Euro 2020: 5 best players eliminated from the tournament so far

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava