Crowds at Place de la Concorde
The players and coaching staff of the French national team received on Monday evening the affection of their fans, who gathered en masse at the Place de la Concorde in the capital Paris to congratulate them on their runner-up finish at the World Cup in Qatar.
More than ten thousand followers
After losing on penalties in the final to Argentina, the ‘Bleus’ returned home a day later, landing at around 8 p.m. to meet the more than 10,000 fans waiting for them at this emblematic city venue, according to the French Football Federation (FFF).
The players saluted from the balcony
From the balcony of the Hotel Crillon, led by coach Didier Deschamps and captain Hugo Lloris, the French players came out to receive the warmth of their fans, with Kylian Mbappé being one of the most acclaimed. After nearly 20 minutes, the players returned inside the building.
Deschamps: «The last note is cruel»
«It is our duty to thank all these French men and women who have supported us and given a lot of strength to this group and for having shared fabulous emotions together. These people give us a lot and during this month they gave us a lot of courage. It is very important for my players to greet them. The last note is cruel, but we must not forget all that this group was able to do in this competition with many difficulties before and during,» Deschamps told ‘TF1’.
Strength, unity and solidarity
For the coach, who has yet to decide his future on the national team bench, second place «in no way detracts» from what they have delivered. «For the younger generations, for the amateur soccer we all come from, to see a group that exudes such strength, unity and solidarity is a very good thing for French soccer,» he said.
Lloris: «We would have liked to bring this cup back to France»
For his part, captain Hugo Lloris stressed that they wanted to «salute and thank the support» of their fans, but also in «seeking a little comfort after the pain of the final.» «We would have liked to bring this cup back to France once again. There is disappointment, but it’s nice to see so many people,» he added. In the picture, Olivier Giroud on his arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
