by France’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Thursday will be a poignant event as it comes on the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Paris terror attacks.
On Friday, November 13, 2015, a total of 130 people were killed in a series of attacks in Paris and around the Stade de France during a friendly match between Les Bleus and Germany.
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Most of those killed died at the Bataclan concert hall in the city, where US band Eagles of Death Metal played.
But one person died near the Stade de France in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where multiple explosions occurred as suicide bombers tried to penetrate the ground.
The stadium was packed with the then President of France, Francois Hollande, among the almost 80,000 spectators who watched the game against Germany – despite everything that happened, the game was played to the end and France won 2-0.
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A decade later, none of the French players involved that evening will feature against Ukraine at the Parc des Princes in the capital, but national coach Didier Deschamps remains in charge of Les Bleus.
“Deep down I think it would have been better if we could have avoided the game on November 13th,” Deschamps admitted when speaking to reporters last week to announce his squad.
A minute’s silence will be held before kick-off to remember the victims of the attacks and Deschamps added: “There is a duty to remember what happened, but there is also a football match to be played.”
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The game is potentially crucial for France as they aim to qualify for next year’s World Cup in North America.
Les Bleus, winners of the 2018 World Cup and runners-up at Qatar 2022, sit top of four-team Group D with two games remaining.
They are three points clear of second-place Ukraine, meaning a win here will seal qualification with a game to spare – although if they make a mistake they will still be in position to finish top when they travel to Azerbaijan on Sunday.
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Ukraine realistically needs to win the game to have a chance of beating the French and going top. Otherwise, they want to fend off Iceland to finish second and get into the play-offs.
Veteran midfielder N’Golo Kante, now playing in Saudi Arabia, has been recalled to the France squad for the games and could make his first international appearance in exactly a year.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Randal Kolo Muani had also been recalled but was later forced to withdraw from the squad due to a broken jaw.
Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain is a notable injury absence for France, who beat Ukraine 2-0 in the second leg in Poland in September.
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