EURO2024 is halfway done. The respectable teams have had time to acclimate to their camps and surroundings. One of the biggest favourites before the tournament began was certainly the French. However, they underperformed in the group stages – but somehow managed to get out of group D as runner-ups.The 2018 World Cup winners in Russia need to step up their game if they wish to stay in the competition. They will try to lower the tensions ahead of their clash against Belgium on Monday.Les Bleus have a routine they follow at Bad Lippspringe base camp in Paderborn. The famous flipchart with the day’s program written by Guy Stéphan, national team assistant coach. Installed near the dining room, it allows the players of the French team to know the precise program concocted by the staff each day during this Euro. A typical day starts with a fairly late rise. Most of the time, breakfast can be taken until 10 AM. The players are then regularly taken care of by the staff.EURO 2024: Fantastic left side of the bracket… and then, there’s the one on the right“In the morning, it’s gym and massage,” Jonathan Clauss confided this week at a press conference.Of the twelve meeting rooms in the hotel, one room is managed by the medical staff for care. The staff has dedicated another to fitness for muscle-awakening exercises, bodybuilding and stretching. In order to combat the sometimes long time, some do not hesitate to extend their bodybuilding sessions. Didier Deschamps does sport almost every day, including his famous and endless core strengthening sessions.The coach organizes his video sessions in another specially equipped room. The technician’s days are busy. He increases the number of discussions with his staff to refine the content of the sessions. Watching matches also takes up a lot of time.When football fields turn into battlefieldsOn the eve of the match, Deschamps carries out individual interviews, not necessarily with the starters the next day. Before the Netherlands match, for example, he had a meeting with 12 players including Kylian Mbappé. The coach judges that with a dozen players the attention is greater. His talks are short and collective with those who will start the match. On the day of the match, Deschamps schedules his video session on the opponent just before sitting down at the table. 25 minutes maximum. Before getting on the bus for the stadium, he does another one for about ten minutes.##NAJAVA_MECA_8186095##Lunch is scheduled either at 12.30 or 1 PM, presented in the form of a buffet, the meal is concocted by Xavier Rousseau. The starred chef, who usually manages the restaurant l’Octave à la Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt, is totally dedicated to the Blues. He prepares different dishes with vegetables, starchy foods, fish and meat. A starter part is also offered with salad compositions. Objective: that there are all nutritional needs – proteins, carbohydrates and slow sugars.He is also in charge of the pasta workshop, which is still very popular, in conjunction with the other chefs at the hotel. Marcus Thuram has a weakness for shrimp pasta. Kingsley Coman regularly opts for a broccoli omelette, while Eduardo Camavinga often sticks to the classics with pasta and tomato sauce.🇫🇷🍳 Behind the scenes of France’s lunch routine at #EURO2024… omelette seems a popular choice! 😋 pic.twitter.com/grCRlxGFh4— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 24, 2024 Three tables have been set up in this catering area. One which brings together the 25 players, with the oldest gathered at the end of the table. On one side, we find Clauss and Jules Koundé, competitors for the right-back position but table neighbors during meals. On the other, there is the inseparable duo Mbappé-Ousmane Dembélé.At the second table, Deschamps’ technical staff gathers, surrounded by Stéphan, Franck Raviot and Cyril Moine. And the last table is dedicated to the rest of the staff. During the meal, the opponents’ matches are broadcast on giant screens. In the last few hours, the Belgian team has been observed from every angle.The beginning of the afternoon is generally devoted to rest and the traditional nap. Some players add a few healing sessions at this time. On the TV in their room, each player has three French channels installed by Thierry Marszalek and Éric Dubray in charge of video analysis: two are devoted to the opponent’s match and the third to a French news channel. The players set off again at the end of the afternoon to go to training. The bus takes the group to the Home Deluxe Arena, stadium of SC Paderborn which plays in the German second division.Now the real ‘fun’ starts – Germany enter the knockout stages with cautionDeschamps also sometimes gives a talk before certain training sessions. This Thursday, for example, before the first session since the match against Poland, the coach made a point of reminding the group that a new tournament was beginning, that he had confidence in each of his players and that he expected them to focus on the result. The sessions are generally scheduled around 5.30 PM. In order to optimize recovery time, showers are taken directly at the hotel so as not to delay dinner time too much.Once back at their base camp, it is often the evening that remains the preferred time for players to challenge each other to different games. Important moments for group cohesion.”In the evening after the meal we meet in the dining room. We are all together,” explains Clauss.France 2024 x 2008 Combined XI 🇫🇷⚽️#euro2024 pic.twitter.com/yxHliLMGbb— Aaron 🇩🇪 (@aaroncikaya) June 26, 2024 The FFF has indeed set up a special space dedicated to players where few members of staff are encountered. Small groups then form around different poles according to affinities. The PlayStation corner is regularly hosted by the duo composed of Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann who challenge each other to NBA2K. A duel of banter in the form of a show that makes the rest of the group laugh a lot.Other players are more into Fifa or Call Of Duty. The Uno corner is very busy where the return of N’Golo Kanté and his legendary cheating livens up discussions and banter. Poker also has its fans among the players, sometimes joined by some members of the staff. The players also take advantage of these moments to watch the other Euro matches together, without forgetting to make phone calls to their loved ones.They usually return to their rooms around midnight. For some, sleep is often slow to come, which adds to the feeling of a long time. But one thing is certain: when they all finally fall asleep, Stephan’s flipchart for the next day is already ready.🇫🇷📺 The France Olympic team are currently watching the #EURO2024 match between France and Poland. 💙 pic.twitter.com/ZnlveUNL5m— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 25, 2024
