PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Ten years ago, on November 13, 2015, France faced Germany in a surreal friendly, beating them 2-0. At the Stade de France, however, no one was focused on the match. Their thoughts were on the news coming from the streets of Paris, including Saint-Denis, particularly from the Bataclan theater. Never-forgotten terrorist attacks , 130 dead, a pain still raw even for those, like Kylian Mbappé, who was only 16 years old at the time. Tomorrow, therefore, exactly 10 years after those attacks, France will face Ukraine in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup, and obviously, this time too, there will be thoughts that go beyond the match. “On behalf of the French national team, the players, the staff, and everyone, I would like to say how special this day is for us,” Mbappé explained at the press conference. “We will think of all those who have lost loved ones, all the victims. We will try to bring a smile to this sad day, but even if we are playing for qualification, we are aware that there are more important things, such as commemorating an unfortunately historic day.”
Mbappé’s memories are vivid. “I was 16… I was in Monaco. I was watching the match like everyone else, and when the first news arrived, the break arrived. My parents were still in Bondy, near Saint-Denis. We all started calling our loved ones. We saw the atrocities of that day. We were filled with great pain, so much sadness, we just wanted everything that was happening to end soon. Obviously, we were all touched,” Mbappé recalled in a press conference. “Playing 10 years later will be specially emotional. We will try to pay homage to all those affected by this tragic event. We will try to be the best version of ourselves.”
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
