From Arsenal to the Ball God

On November 9th, Ma’el returned to London and then flew to Paris, France, to attend his first national team training camp.

Heading to a new place to meet a new group of teammates and coaches, he felt a sense of anticipation in his heart.

That afternoon, he arrived in Paris. Of course, he was not the only one on this trip. Harry and Safina also came along. They were responsible for the post-training massage and therapy.

They took the bus from the airport to Clairefontaine Football Town, where most of the French team’s training sessions were held.

Besides that, Clairefontaine is also the location of a world-famous football academy.

Top players like Henry, Anelka, and Saha all emerged from here, and it has nurtured countless talented players for the French team.

Looking ahead, the future star of the French team, Mbappe, is also a well-known graduate of this place.

Ma’el arrived at Clairefontaine around six in the evening. He bid farewell to the two therapists and entered this fresh-aired football town to find his accommodation, which was a dormitory with five-star hotel amenities.

On the way, he encountered a few players who stared at him... but unfortunately, he didn’t recognize any of them.

After arriving at his room, he organized all his personal belongings and prepared everything.

That night, Deschamps organized a meet-and-greet, which was Ma’el’s first meeting with the French team’s players.

Ma’el arrived at the venue five minutes before the meeting started and found that most of the players were already seated... A quick glance allowed him to recognize many familiar faces.

Among them was the leader of the Four Little Swans of France, Nasri, a former Arsenal teammate he had crossed paths with a few times.

Nasri turned his head to look at him, and after a moment of eye contact, turned his head elsewhere.

Ma’el shifted his gaze away, nodded slightly towards the other teammates, and then walked towards a seat in the back, sitting with Koscielny.

”You moved pretty quickly.”

After setting his chair down and sitting on it, he said, ”I was going to come over with you.”

The two of them were the only Arsenal players selected for this French team training camp, naturally making them gravitate towards each other for support.

”I forgot to tell you,” Koscielny said apologetically, smiling, ”I wanted to come over last night and spend some more time with my family before the training camp.”

Ma’el nodded in understanding and didn’t say much more. He could hear some whispers coming from the front row.

”18 years old...”

”Watch out for Ribery.”

”Fifteen goals already in the league this season.”

”I’ve heard he’s difficult to get along with.”

Since they were speaking in low tones, Ma’el could only catch bits and pieces, but he could still get a general idea of the players’ opinions about him.

With the sound of footsteps, Deschamps soon entered, sitting in the speaker’s position above.

As the newly appointed head coach of the French National Team, he appeared extremely efficient, with a confident and authoritative demeanor.

He wore a Gaul Rooster Team uniform with a star on the chest, pulled the microphone towards himself, and prepared to speak, full of poise.

If it weren’t for Ma’el scoring three goals and making two assists in two matches against his team, he might have been swayed.

However, he was not going to underestimate this Basque man; he was convinced that this was the best choice to lead the French team... because he could control the locker room.

Like the Netherlands and Belgium, the French team is also prone to internal conflict, with things always seeming to happen around major tournaments.

Whether it’s between players and coaches, between players themselves, or between various parties and the football association, it’s all quite unpredictable.

Just over a year ago at the South African World Cup, star player Anelka had a severe altercation with then-coach Domenech, and subsequently, Anelka was expelled from the national team.

After the humiliating group stage exit was confirmed, Manchester United star Evra had a major confrontation with the trainer, leading to the French team’s collective protest by boycotting training over the Anelka incident, making a significant fuss.

This is a star-studded team, yet one that is difficult to manage.

To lead it well, tactical and technical aspects truly become secondary; first and foremost, the head coach must manage the team!

And in this regard, former captain Deschamps, who led the French team to win the 1998 World Cup, is undoubtedly the best choice.

During his playing days, he was a big brother in the team; as a coach, he’s the boss of the locker room.

His leadership and the honors he accumulated make him highly respected, at least in front of French players.

”I don’t need to introduce who I am. Today, I will say only three things.”

Deschamps began to speak. His voice was not loud, yet everyone listened intently. ”First, you all surely understand the importance of the first training camp after the new head coach takes over.

”Starting from this camp, I will rebuild the French team in the way I envision it. Only those who can contribute to the team will have a chance to be here next time.

”With the foundation laid by my predecessor, Blanco, who led the team to the 2012 European Cup, our goal is clear: to prepare for and achieve good results in this tournament.”

His gaze moved over several people known to have had previous conflicts with former coach Blanco.

This included Manchester United star Evra and among France’s Four Little Swans, Nasri, Menez, and Benzema.

Deschamps’ gaze carried an air of warning, clearly indicating that things have changed, and previous antics will not be tolerated in his regime.

One of his goals upon taking this role is to accomplish the transition of old and new within the French team.