France national team player Warren Zaire-Emery has directly addressed and refuted remarks made by former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who suggested that the French squad lacks genuine French players due to their diverse ethnic backgrounds.
In response to Rajoy's opinion piece published in the newspaper El Debate, Zaire-Emery stated, "The French team has players from different backgrounds and origins, as does the country. We are a united group, a united team, and that's all that matters."
Rajoy's comments, which surfaced a week after similar remarks from a Paraguayan senator targeting Kylian Mbappé, have sparked considerable criticism in France. Rajoy's assertion in El Debate was: "They have a top-level squad. That said, they don't have any French players."
The French team also responded to claims made by Spanish player Lamine Yamal, who had suggested they were "scared" of Spain. Zaire-Emery deemed such talk "not very useful," emphasizing that the focus should be on the upcoming match rather than social media pronouncements.
Zaire-Emery, 20, acknowledged Yamal's comments at a pre-match press conference ahead of France's World Cup semi-final against Spain. "We are not afraid of anybody," he said. "These type of declarations will take place but personally I don't think this is very useful. The match is taking place tomorrow, not on social media."
Yamal's statement was based on Spain's victories over France in the 2024 Euros and Nations League semi-finals. Zaire-Emery, however, praised the 19-year-old Yamal's skills and indicated that provocative comments are not a significant distraction for the team. "Things like this happen. I've had the same at Barcelona," Zaire-Emery noted. "But you have to do everything on the pitch. We try not to take into account the declarations. Let's not focus too much on what's being said."
French manager Didier Deschamps engaged in pre-match psychological tactics by labeling Spain as the favorites for the semi-final. "Spain confirmed that they are the favourites," Deschamps commented. "I don't want to put pressure on Luis but I know people expect a lot of their team. We know that this match might be a spectacular one between two teams with plenty of quality offensively. It's not the revenge for us. The past is in the past."
Deschamps also highlighted the significance of the match being played on Bastille Day, France's national holiday. "July the 14th is an important day for France and the French nation," he said. "We will do everything that we can. We know our objective."