Youssouf Fofana is one of the five courageous players who faced Diogo Costa on Friday, delivering a perfect penalty to secure France's spot in the Euro semi-finals. Reflecting on this high-pressure moment during a Sunday press conference, Fofana admitted, 'I didn’t impose more on myself than that. I agreed to go, it was with pleasure that I accepted. I always want to take a penalty. I left calmly. Maybe failures help us move forward in this aspect of the game.' The AS Monaco midfielder also addressed the French team's history of penalty shootout defeats, emphasizing a forward-looking mindset.
Facing criticism for not scoring any goals from open play, Fofana echoed his teammate Ousmane Dembélé's sentiments: 'Personally, I don’t really care. In the end, we are in the semi-final. It doesn’t matter if it’s X or Y who pushes the ball into the back of the net, that matters.' He also defended Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, stating, 'The level of Mbappé and Griezmann is enough to be a semi-finalist. I don’t see why we would look for the little beast because in the end that’s enough.'
Fofana also opened up about his relationship with coach Didier Deschamps, describing it as a balance of closeness and professional distance. 'He tries to be quite close to us, to have a certain distance too. There are times when we can discuss everything or nothing. He’s a lodger but we can’t really answer him,' he said with a laugh.
The 25-year-old midfielder praised goalkeeper Mike Maignan's leadership, noting, 'When he speaks in the locker room, we hear him. You see it in his eyes. It pushes us to do more.' As for their upcoming match against Spain, Fofana acknowledged the threat posed by young talents Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, saying, 'Among the Spanish, danger can come from anywhere. The two young people Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are having a huge season. I hope they miss each other on Tuesday,' he added with a smile.
Special correspondent in Paderborn.
Back at their base camp since Friday evening, the French team is already preparing for their semi-final clash against Spain. Youssouf Fofana and Randal Kolo Muani addressed the media, responding to criticism of the team's performance. Despite scoring only three goals, including two own goals and a penalty, Fofana dismissed the criticism: 'We are semi-finalists of the Euro. The level of Antoine and Kylian is enough to be a semi-finalist.'
Randal Kolo Muani, who also faced the media, shared his confidence in the team's abilities. 'We don't score many goals but we are in the half and we have opportunities. We have to be more diligent and concentrated,' said the PSG striker. 'When the first goal comes, it will go by. There is no work off the field; it is worked on in training. You simply have to be more efficient.'
