A little parenthesis of celebration before focusing again 200% on the objective, that of a qualification for the semi-finals of the Euro this Friday. 48 hours before facing Portugal in the quarter-finals of the European Championship, the vice-world champions celebrated the birthday of one of their own this Wednesday evening: Mike Maignan, who blew out his 29th candle on this July 3.
A moment of warm sharing captured and shared by the cameras of the French team, as close as possible to the group in Paderborn in Germany. After a warm “Happy Birthday” sung in chorus for “Miky”, to great applause and clinking of glasses, the Blues let the “main actor”, in the words of Antoine Griezmann, give a short speech.
Clearly a little more comfortable pulling off world-class saves than speaking in public, the PSG-trained player was sober. “Thank you all for my birthday, for this day… we’re not used to it (laughs). Thank you for the love you have for me… that’s it,” he concluded to cheers from his teammates. Before returning to the stands for a few words, this time more collective: “Strength to everyone, to the whole team for Friday’s match. I know we’ll be ready for battle. We’re on the right track.” In this match, he, the penalty shootout specialist, will be one of the French team’s strengths.
It was already the third anniversary celebrated by the group since the start of the gathering, on May 28, the first since the start of the Euro. Before Mike Maignan, Ferland Mendy celebrated his 29th birthday on June 8 and Kingsley Coman blew out his 28th candle a few days later, on June 13.
