The quarterfinalists for the 2024 Paris Olympic men’s football tournament have all been determined. In the quarterfinals, the French Olympic team will face off against the Argentine Olympic team. Looking ahead to the knockout stages, French coach Thierry Henry stated that the knockout rounds are entirely different from the group stage, and the French team cannot be swayed by their emotions.
“Are the players excited about the upcoming clash with a strong opponent?” Henry said, “I always tell the players that having emotions is normal, but they can’t be controlled by them. I try to instill this mindset in the lads. Emotions will come, but you can’t let them take over completely, as that would create additional difficulties.”
The French team won their three group matches, defeating the United States 3-0, Guinea 1-0, and New Zealand 3-0. They scored seven goals across the three games without conceding. Henry commented, “These were three distinct matches. In the first game, we felt some pressure, which I think is normal. Then, the Guinean team put up an excellent fight. In the third match, our approach was slightly different, focusing more on control, and we made some changes. The advantage was that we could rotate some players while maintaining the same forward momentum. Not conceding in the group stage? You might concede in the quarterfinals and then be out of the competition… We need to stay calm and focused.”
Henry emphasized that the group stage is now behind them, and the knockout rounds are a different story: “Now a different kind of match begins. First, we’ll focus on recovery because the next game is coming up soon, and we’ll prepare for Argentina. It’s essential to concentrate on what we need to do.”