Sakina Karchaoui spoke in the mixed zone after the quarter -final of Euro 2025 which saw France eliminated by Germany on penalties despite a player more for the majority of the match.
You gave everything you had. Was it Germany that was too strong tonight?
“I do not share your opinion. I think that with 11 against 10, we simply had to kill the game. They were perhaps more determined in this match. We had our weapons, we created the game, but that simply did not happen today.”
“It is true that it is frustrating. I don’t want to talk about a tower, but it’s totally frustrating. We had so much confidence in this group, in what we built and so on.
“But we don’t have to throw everything away; on the contrary, you have to take a lot of positive things. And one day, he will go, we know.”
What do you need to kill the game?
“This is the question. I don’t think I want to get carried away. You have to watch the game again, you have to settle down. But I think that with 11 against 10, we had to kill the game.
“Two goals were prohibited. I don’t know why the second was forbidden. I was told that it was perhaps Maelle (Lakrar) in a position, I don’t know … But then it was a roller coaster and we lost penalties.
“It is true that it is totally frustrating, but we are recovering.”
Laurent Bonadei told us before the match that you did not necessarily have a special training session on shooting shots. Have you missed it tonight?
“No, not really. Because Amel (Majri) works there every day, I work every day, there are girls who do not work on them who have also marked. So no, I don’t think that is that. It’s just like that.
“I don’t know what to say about it.
Why did Alice Sombath took the seventh penalty when there were more experienced players in the group?
“When we were in the group, we said that those who kicked would be those who wanted to take them. We do not want to push someone to leave if he does not want and so on. And Alice also has the experience to go.
“It is also the strength of our group, that we trust everyone and that we are counting on everyone’s experience. We have seen that in euros and here with the penalties. Amel Majri, she has experience, she went to take a penalty and she missed it even if she takes them all the time. So that’s how it is, it is the yield of the game and you accept them.”
Did you think it was done and sprinkled after the 1-0 score with 11 against 10?
“No, I do not think. Because as we went around the field, we thought it was still 0-0 and that we had to say that they also had 11. So no, not at all, we do not feel better or more beautiful at that time.
“But it is true that we had to kill the game and we did not do it. It is therefore something that we will have to work in the next sessions.”
Physically, they put you through a difficult duel. Has this affected the way you played?
“No, not really. It’s just that they played almost exclusively long bullets.
“It is true that we are not playing in a long game. I think we were better at the start because they were playing their game, of course. It was more practical for us.
“But you always have to watch the game to see where we were not good and put things right for the next time.”
(Tagstotranslate) Football