Emperor of Football: Julien De Rocca

The French Football Association executives at Donbas Stadium were now eagerly hoping the team could defeat Ukraine. The England match had already concluded.

England 3-2 Sweden.

Despite Ibrahimović giving everything he had, he couldn't secure even a point for Sweden. Sweden was eliminated.

The final qualifying spot would come down to France versus Ukraine.

The situation was crystal clear now. If France won, France would finish first in the group, England second.

If Ukraine won, England would finish first, Ukraine second.

A draw would see Ukraine eliminated due to inferior goal difference, with England first and France second.

The TF1 commentator, after explaining the qualification scenarios to French fans, commented, "So for us right now, winning this match is obviously more suitable. Spain's performance has been too strong, perhaps we'd have a better chance against Italy."

In the stands, Zidane watched the resumed match while considering a choice—

During the recent break in play, Le Graët had asked him if he was interested in coaching the French national team.

Blanc had already confirmed he wouldn't renew his contract.

Last October in Limoges, at a law and sports finance center, Zidane had obtained his coaching certificate, preparing for this new chapter in his life.

But Zidane's heart hadn't truly made the decision. He asked himself, "Am I really ready to become a coach?"

Previously, he would have firmly refused Le Graët's proposal.

But now, he was hesitant. Because of the player like De Rocca.

Zidane felt that if he became France's head coach, he would definitely build the tactical setup around Julien.

France had always been a team that needed a core player to drive them forward. Without a core, France was like scattered sand.

Unfortunately, in recent years, France hadn't produced a player capable of being that core.

Now, Zidane saw that potential in De Rocca. Just as he had told Véronique, he saw France's future.

So, should he accept the challenge of becoming France's head coach?

Whoosh!

As he was lost in thought, the Ukrainian fans in the stands erupted in excited shouts.

They had finally gotten a shooting opportunity.

Shevchenko received a through ball from Selin, and from the left side of the penalty area, almost at the edge of the six-yard box, he unleashed a powerful shot.

But Lloris made a world-class save clutching the ball to his chest.

France controlled most of the possession, and Ukraine had few attacking opportunities. Let alone shots on goal.

So, Shevchenko was particularly disappointed, this might have been their best chance of the first half.

However, even though France controlled possession, they didn't create many opportunities due to Ukraine's deep defensive setup.

In fact, Blanc on the sideline had been frowning constantly. The current match situation wasn't what he wanted to see.

Julien was getting too little of the ball!

France's midfield core was Nasri, but he wasn't passing to Julien, focusing instead on Ribéry down the left flank.

The declining Ribéry no longer possessed the fearsome ability to tear apart an entire flank like in his prime.

Against Ukraine's compact defense, he simply couldn't penetrate.

Giroud was completely isolated. France's multiple attempts on goal came mainly from long-range efforts outside the box.

With the first half approaching forty minutes, France still hadn't created a clear-cut chance.

The TF1 commentator said helplessly, "This reminds me of the familiar France: everyone playing for themselves."

Of course, he still tried to defend the players: "Perhaps it's due to the weather conditions. After the break, the players seem out of sorts."

Tweet!!

As Kuipers' whistle sounded, the first half ended.

Blanc returned to the dressing room facing his players, his first words being, "This isn't the performance I want to see!"

Nobody spoke. Everyone remained silent.

Blanc continued, "I don't know why this is happening, but if we continue playing like this, forget about going far in the knockout stages, we might not even qualify from the group!"

"In the second half, I'll make some personnel adjustments. That's all."

Blanc didn't even discuss tactics. After speaking, he left the dressing room. He could already sense that France's dressing room was spiraling out of control. But he was powerless to stop it.

However, Blanc wasn't worried at this moment. At least he had shown many people where France's problems lay.

The so-called "Four Little Swans" were France's biggest cancer!

At the same time, he was leaving France with a future.

Blanc didn't know who the next France coach would be. "I hope we can reach the knockout stages and give De Rocca at least one more opportunity."

Blanc no longer cared about the results of the final two matches. When he decided not to renew, he had made his peace with it. With his credentials, finding another coaching job wouldn't be difficult.

So, he needed to be even more decisive!

It was time for France's old guard to step aside.

On Ukraine's side, Blokhin kept emphasizing, "Defense! Focus on defense! We will have our chances. France is strong, but I've already detected problems in their team. We need to seize this opportunity! Win this, and we qualify!"

"I want us to fall in the knockout stages, not in the group stage!"

The Ukrainian players' eyes were equally determined. They wanted to win!

This was their home ground, their country! They didn't want to lose!

At that moment, the players and staff roared together—"Слава Україні!" = "Glory to Ukraine"

Soon, Halftime ended.

Julien and Giroud walked through the tunnel together, preparing to take the field.

Giroud hadn't spoken in the dressing room, but now that they were outside, he said to Julien, "My first-half performance was terrible. After what Blanc said, he's definitely going to substitute me."

Giroud was disappointed with his starting performance.

Jennifer was also in the stands watching this match. His performance in the first half made him feel dejected.

Julien patted his shoulder. "Hey, you're Ligue 1's top scorer! Pull yourself together. As long as you're on the pitch, even if it's just for a minute or a second, you need to do everything possible to score for the team. Don't be discouraged."

"Yeah." Giroud nodded, taking a light breath to compose himself.

Every time he saw De Rocca, he could feel an uplifting energy from him.

Julien was always so confident. It seemed like nothing could make him doubt himself. Giroud silently resolved to learn from him!

Soon, they followed the team onto the field, with Donbas Stadium fans still cheering passionately.

Neither side made personnel changes.

Tweet!!

Kuipers blew the whistle to start the second half.

The match continued.

France hadn't undergone any qualitative changes, but just five minutes into the second half, Blanc made a decision that shocked the entire stadium—

He substituted Nasri.

"What?"

This left all the fans stunned.

'Had Blanc really lost his mind?!'

This was the thought in countless heads.

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