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Do not worry about the future, do not mourn the past.” This quote from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem Queen Mab encourages readers to live in the present and not get lost in thoughts of what could be or what could have been. However, it also captures the short-lived time as a midfielder for France and PSG for Warren Zaïre-Emery.
France has already secured a spot in Euro 2024, but with Aurélien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid out due to injuries, Didier Deschamps has called up 17-year-old Zaïre-Emery for their last two qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece. Zaïre-Emery’s rise has been incredibly rapid, as he made his professional debut for PSG in August 2022 at the age of 16 years and 151 days, making him the youngest player in the club’s history. He recently captained the France Under-21s team under manager Thierry Henry.
Zaïre-Emery became the youngest player for France and scored a goal in his full international debut against Gibraltar on Saturday, making history since 1914. Although he had a shining moment by scoring a goal in the 16th minute with the help of Kingsley Coman, it was also a bittersweet experience as he sustained an ankle injury and will not be able to play for the remainder of 2023.
In the 14-0 win, Zaïre-Emery made his debut, although it was short and against a weaker team. However, he demonstrated that he has the potential to be a stronger option for Deschamps’ central players. PSG’s new coach, Luis Enrique, has been praised for believing in Zaïre-Emery, who has been one of the top performers for the club this season, aside from Kylian Mbappé. According to Enrique, it is easy to coach a player like him, as his greatest quality is his humility.
Luis Enrique has promoted Zaïre-Emery this season, starting him in nearly all of PSG’s matches, but he is not the only one impressed by the youngster’s talent and personality. Though not noted for placing his faith in young talent, Christophe Galtier said of Zaïre-Emery last season: “If a 16-and-a-half-year-old is more capable of playing than the others, he will play.”
When Galtier gave Zaïre-Emery his debut at PSG, he was limited by injuries, suspensions and a lack of form on the part of the club’s other midfielders. But, like Deschamps, he saw strong, consistent evidence that Zaïre-Emery was able to handle a crucial role. Zaïre-Emery has impressed for his club over the past year – including his man of the match display as PSG dismantled Milan in the Champions League – so there was plenty of anticipation before the Gibraltar fixture at the weekend.
His impressive showing during the evening matched the high expectations set for him. Zaïre-Emery displayed a boldness in tackling and a drive to push forward when necessary. Based on this display, he appears mature enough to play in the midfield for a team of France’s caliber. Deschamps has been hesitant to debut such young players. Mbappé, Kingsley Coman, and Ousmane Dembélé all had to wait longer for their chance, and while they excel in more attacking roles, Zaïre-Emery’s duties and obligations as a central midfielder are quite distinct.
While it is true that an own goal and red card within the first 20 minutes determined the outcome of the match, the composure and maturity displayed by the young player while in possession of the ball were noteworthy. As part of a central pair with Adrien Rabiot, he confidently advanced with the ball and effectively maintained possession, also serving as a reliable option for his team. As he has previously demonstrated with PSG, Zaïre-Emery possesses the ability to both maintain and distribute the ball.
Zaïre-Emery possesses the potential to become the focal point of the midfield for this team, which has been a challenging position for Deschamps due to Matuidi’s retirement, Pogba’s suspension, and Kanté’s drop in form. While the manager has other options such as Camavinga and Tchouaméni, neither of them can match Zaïre-Emery’s consistent presence. He has the ability to regain possession and distribute the ball, granting France’s offensive players more flexibility and, most importantly, allowing Griezmann to have a greater impact in the attack.
The striker for Atlético Madrid performed admirably filling in as a central midfielder in Qatar, but his impact is greater when he is more involved in the attack. In this position, he can have a more direct influence on the game and contribute to pressing and tracking back, which are not strengths of players like Mbappé and Dembélé.
If the young player continues to progress, France’s midfield will become more well-rounded. By having Zaïre-Emery paired with either Rabiot or Youssouf Fofana against weaker opponents, or the more defensive-minded Tchouaméni against stronger teams, France will become a more versatile team. Deschamps has guided France to three finals in the past four major tournaments. His decision to promote Zaïre-Emery seven months before the Euros indicates that he has embraced the quote by Shelley: “Nothing fades faster than accolades that have been rested upon.”
Henry is experiencing the consequences of his losses and is feeling humbled.
It is worth questioning the level of amusement experienced by Montpellier manager Michel der Zakarian following France’s Under-21 team’s defeats against Austria and South Korea during the international break. Recently, der Zakarian engaged in a heated exchange with Henry in the media after the Under-21s manager accused Ligue 1 of having a “lack of action.” Der Zakarian responded directly, making fun of Henry’s track record at Monaco and implying that a manager within the French setup should show support for the French league.
Der Zakarian stated that he disagrees with Thierry Henry’s opinions. He questioned Henry’s experience as a coach, pointing out that he only managed for three months in Monaco before leaving. He also criticized Henry for being a part of the French Football Federation and still criticizing French football. Der Zakarian believes this is unfair and easy to do when one is only coaching the Under-21 team. He mentioned that Henry’s recent wins of 4-0 were not impressive because they were against weaker opponents. Der Zakarian challenged Henry to prove himself by winning against stronger teams like Spain or Italy.
According to Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin, the two men have reconciled, but Der Zakarian’s remarks about Henry’s team are valid following their recent defeats of 2-0 to Austria and 3-0 to South Korea. While France remains at the top of their Euro 2025 qualifying group, they are just ahead of Slovenia by goal difference.
Unfortunately, Zaïre-Emery’s absence was a significant setback. Despite having experienced players like Elye Wahi, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, and Arnaud Kalimuendo in their attack, they have not been producing as much as expected. It is concerning that they have lost twice without scoring, especially with the upcoming Olympics in Paris next summer.
Source: theguardian.com
