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ESPNsoccernet: Europe | |
France coach Didier Deschamps urged his players to respect each other on and off the pitch as he looked ahead to a World Cup qualifier against Spain.
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Deschamps, who succeeded Laurent Blanc as the national coach three months ago, wants to see an end to the dressing-room rifts that disrupted the 2010 World Cup campaign and resurfaced at Euro 2012.
He stressed that "nothing is possible" without respect and said: "Nobody has never told them [the players] what's good and what's wrong. Mentalities have evolved.
"These days, we can't make mistakes, there is zero tolerance, everybody knows everything. I'm not here to bring them up - they are adults - but they have to respect the team. No-one should disturb the stability. On and off the pitch, they have to respect each other."
Deschamps insisted respect would result in better team performances - and his side proved his point in their first two qualifiers, which ended in victories over Finland and Belarus.
World and European champions Spain are next, and the France coach said: "Those six points - it was important to get them in a five-team group with Spain.
"I saw that the players were focused: they want to be a part of this project and qualify for the World Cup.
"I am not contesting Spain's superiority. But during the game, I'll want every guy on the pitch thinking we can get a result, thinking we can threaten them. We'll need to be at our best as a team."