PARIS.- The captain of the French soccer team, Kylian Mbappéremembered the victims of the attacks of November 13, 2015 this Wednesday at a press conference, on the eve of the duel before Ukraine in the Parc des Princes, where they will be honored.
“Everyone knows how special tomorrow is. Not in the good sense of the word. That’s why we wanted to have a thought for all the people who have lost their loved ones, who may have been affected, hurt, whether mentally or physically,” said the forward.
“Tomorrow we will try to pay tribute to all these people, either during the day, during the game, trying to put a smile on the faces of the people who will come to the stadium, although we know that it is not a happy day,” he added at a press conference.
France faces Ukraine on Thursday at the Parc des Princes in a match in which they can seal their qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
“We want to make the French understand that, despite qualifying for the World Cup, there are much more important things. And the commemoration of this day, which unfortunately is historic, is part of it. And we are not disconnected from that,” continued the Real Madrid footballer.
Words from the bench
The selector Didier Deschamps He indicated that he had insisted to his players about the importance of the sporting event, acknowledging that he had “a little difficulty in expressing himself about it out of contention, duty of memory and support and compassion for these families who have suffered and lost their loved ones.”
A day of tributes to the victims will be organized on Thursday in Paris and at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (outskirts of the capital), ten years after the jihadist attacks of November 13, 2015, which deeply marked the country and left 132 dead and more than 350 injured.
Before the start of the France-Ukraine match, a minute of silence will be observed in the Parc des Princes and a banner with the words “Football for Peace” will be displayed in the central circle.
