L'actualité des Kids

That's what you call a successful start! Lionel Rouxel's French U17 team made an impressive debut in the U17 EURO yesterday in Albania, winning 3-0 against Germany. The young Stéphanois players Djylian N'Guessan and Paul Eymard were both starters, and the Green forward managed to score by successfully finishing off a cross from Lyon's Rémi Himbert to double the lead. Earlier, Toulouse's Ilyas Azizi had opened the scoring with a personal exploit just 45 seconds into the match. Troyes' Christ Batola completed the French victory with a header in the 78th minute.

The next match could already be decisive, as the French U17s will face Portugal this Thursday, who also won 4-0 against the host country.

Lionel Rouxel's reaction, the head coach, on FFF.fr:

"It was important to start well and get points. We had prepared well for this match, and the players responded. The week of training and the friendly match against Paris FC (3-1) helped us work well and make some corrections. The game plan was followed, and we had identified certain weaknesses in the German team. The boys rose to the occasion. The scenario was favorable, it's true, but even at 2-0 and playing against ten men, we had to be cautious. A goal could have brought Germany back into the game. I asked the players to remain vigilant, and they stayed focused. So, big satisfaction—three points, three goals. It's the first step, the first battle, and every match will be like that. The mission was accomplished for the first one. We need to keep moving forward, not get carried away, keep our feet on the ground, and our heads straight. The group is doing well, everyone is involved, whether they start or come on as substitutes."