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Former France midfielder Mathieu Valbuena has recalled how he felt after Didier Deschamps' chilling pep talk that inspired Les Bleus to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The pep talk in question goes all the way back to 2013, with France facing a hurdle to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup under the management of Didier Deschamps.
It appeared as though Les Bleus wouldn't make it after they lost to Ukraine 2-0 in the first leg of their qualifier clash. The tactician, however, managed to raise the spirit of his men with some inspiring words and they ended up turning the situation around, beating Ukraine 3-0 in the second leg.
During an interview with RMC, Mathieu Valbuena recalled feeling motivated following that pep talk while praising the tactician's ability to get the best out of his team.
“I got out of there, I was an animal, I wanted to smash everything," the Frenchman said. "It gave a lot of strength and determination to the whole group.
"He always knew how to breathe that into his teams. Deschamps in his talks, he will talk a bit of tactics but he won’t dwell on the subject, he will mainly talk about families, people, he will share with us his experiences as a player and a coach.
"He gives you chills. You go out of his chat, you say to yourself ‘wow'," he added.
Matheu Valbuena made his debut for France under the management of Raymond Domenech on May 26, 2010, at the age of 25 years, seven months, and 28 days old. So far, he's made 52 appearances for the national team, recording eight goals to his name, according to Transfermarkt.
Can France defend their FIFA World Cup title in 2022?
After claiming the World Cup in Russia back in 2018, France are on a mission to defend their crown in Qatar this year and it's worth noting that they've stepped up to the plate so far.
Didier Deschamps' men finished at the top of Group D ahead of the likes of Australia, Tunisia, and Denmark. They then defeated Poland and England in the round of 16 and quarterfinals respectively and will now take on Morocco in the semifinals.
The African side has proven to be a giant slayer in the competition so far, edging out Spain and Portugal to reach the semis. They are indeed very difficult and unpredictable opponents for France.
The other semi-final clash will pit Argentina and Croatia against each other. Should Croatia emerge on top, they'll definitely be eager to avenge losing the World Cup to Deschamps' men back in 2018.
Should Argentina win, they'll definitely be charged up to get the job done, especially now that they're determined to win it for their talisman, Lionel Messi. Whatever happens, it'll definitely not be an easy run for France. Can they defend the crown? Well, only time will tell.
