France played it too safe at Euro 2024. They need to find their joie de vivre

The immediate reaction for France fans after their defeat to Spain is one of frustration but, just as was the case at Euro 2012, when the teams met in the quarter-finals, there is no shame in losing to a team that is the best at the tournament and more progressive. There will be regrets for Didier Deschamps and his players but the future is bright so long as they make the right decisions and address the shortcomings that were on display in Germany.

Didier Deschamps: once bitten, twice shy

Deschamps approached France’s last three major tournaments with a relatively open approach. France scored goals for fun and were generally successful, with Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann the twin drivers of a high-powered engine. There was some suggestion, though, that the stinging elimination to Switzerland in 2021 and the heartbreak of the final in Qatar – both of which came on penalties after 3-3 draws – caused him to adopt a cautious approach in Germany.

Nowhere was this better exemplified than in his selections in midfield. His preferred midfield triumvirate of Adrien Rabiot, Aurélien Tchouameni and N’Golo Kanté all had fairly decent tournaments, but they sorely lacked creativity. Deschamps’ choice of such a prosaic set of midfielders (hardly helped by a bench of Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana and Warren Zaïre-Emery) was the largest reason for his undoing, even taking Mbappé’s injury into account.

In the past, the manager has been able to rely on Griezmann to be a creative cog in a deep-lying role, or even the mercurial brilliance of Paul Pogba. As Mbappé said this week: “When we had Paul Pogba, I could just blindly make a run and he would find me. Now I have to adapt to a different situation.” Shorn of Pogba and an in-form Griezmann, could he not have picked a more creative player who was also capable of putting in the hard yards? With time likely to be called on Griezmann and Kanté’s careers soon (admittedly, they are only 33 so they could feature in 2026), France need to invest in footballers who play with some freedom and a sense of joie de vivre.

Further forward, Bradley Barcola shows this sort of energy, even if he sometimes lacks consistency. The manager could do worse than looking at Maxence Caqueret, Désiré Doué, or Michael Olise. All are capable of playing as the most advanced of a midfield three or at least as a No 10. Movement forward in this domain is badly needed, and with an expanded World Cup in 2026, this is the time to address it.

As for Deschamps himself, should he continue? On the evidence of this tournament, it’s hard to make a strong case for him. His squad selection was baffling; he only used 18 of his players and three of them were on the pitch for less than an hour. He was unwilling to experiment or change his plan, even when it was clear that his strategy of relying on Mbappé and Griezmann to secure results – as they had so often for him in recent tournaments – was simply not on the cards due to fatigue, injury and a lack of form.

Deschamps is loyal to a fault and he has ridden his philosophy to unprecedented success, reaching at least the quarter-finals of every major tournament in which has led France. But, after nearly 12 years in charge, it is likely time for France to turn the page. His unwillingness to adapt to a more progressive style of play (or even squad selection) has been ungainly. France fans have been left wondering what they might have achieved with a more innovative approach, edging out the likes of Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, and adding some real creativity to the team’s attacking options, rather than relying solely on individual brilliance.

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Mike Maignan: the future assured

France’s recent successes have been built on solid, if occasionally mercurial, goalkeepers – from Fabien Barthez’s antics to Hugo Lloris’ combination of brilliance and the occasional gaffe. Mike Maignan showed that he has at least some of this in his locker with his foray out of the goal early in the second half to daringly (foolishly?) take the ball off the feet of Nico Williams.

On the whole, though, he has, along with William Saliba, been France’s most reliable player this tournament, a real achievement given the last time that a goalkeeper other than Lloris was in goal at a major tournament for France was in 2008, when Steve Mandanda and Grégory Coupet conceded six goals between them as France failed to advance out of the group stage.

At 29 years old he is not young, but his lack of international experience was a source of worry in some quarters before the tournament. Now, though, he looks good for he next few tournaments. Deschamps (or his potential replacement) have a solid foundation from which to build.

Defence: green shoots

Questions abounded about the defence before the tournament, with Raphäel Varane having retired from international football and Lucas Hernández unavailable through injury. Their absences meant this would be an inexperienced group, but they acquitted themselves well. William Saliba took his chance with both hands in central defence, and Jules Koundé and Theo Hernández turned in balanced displays, the latter’s struggles against Lamine Yamal notwithstanding.

Given the strength of their relatively young defence at Euro 2024 – and their cadre of up-and-coming talents, such as Leny Yoro, Malo Gusto and Castello Lukeba – France may not have to play quite so cautiously in the future. They are as well stocked as any country in the world.

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Olivier Giroud: a bridge too far

Olivier Giroud, who turns 38 in September, has retired from international football as a World Cup winner and his country’s all-time leading scorer, with 57 goals in 137 games. He is moving to Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer, having won major trophies in three countries as well as the Champions League and Europa League.

Giroud’s achievements are truly remarkable given he did not win his first international cap until the age of 25, but this tournament was simply a step too far for the veteran, whose lack of minutes in France’s previous two matches should have been telling come the semi-final.

Shorn of attacking options and chasing the game, France had little choice to throw him on against Spain, but might Deschamps have done better by picking a player who could have affected the match more positively? His options in attack are somewhat thin on the ground, but Alexandre Lacazette scored 19 goals in Ligue 1 this season and Moussa Diaby was integral for Aston Villa as they qualified for the Champions League. Giroud’s career deserves every possible praise, but nothing he showed in Germany suggests he should have been in the squad on merit. It was a frustrating situation given his country’s profligacy.