At 21:00 UTC (CEST) on July 5, France will face Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. On the eve of the match, France coach Didier Deschamps attended a press conference. This is the first part of the press conference.

Hello, do you think there is a tendency—of course, I'm not referring to you, but to the outside world—to stereotype this Paraguay team as tough, aggressive, and defensively focused? Is that accurate? Or was what you saw when you studied their game actually completely different?

I don't know what you say or how you write it, I'm sorry, but after this I can tell you what I think of this team. Yes, they have the qualities of all South American teams; they have a big heart, as they say, and they will fight from the first minute to the last. But this is a high-level competition. They will be aggressive, but they didn't get here by beating Germany with that; they didn't win the game by being aggressive and kicking people.

So this is a team that understands its footballing style very well, and within that system, even if they are prompted to change it, they still have excellent players. There is Enciso, who plays for Strasbourg in France, as well as Almiron, Avalos, that's it, and Galarza on the left. These players all know each other well. They can execute tactics very effectively, they do an excellent job, and with—as they say in Spanish, "soul"—they have that, which is a characteristic of South American teams. It is in their DNA, and it is more of a quality.

This is not a disadvantage, but that is not all there is to it; otherwise, they would not be here. When a team can reach the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup, it is no accident, whatever anyone may say. After that, everyone can have their own opinion, but without strength, you cannot get to this point, and this Paraguay team has strength.

Hello, Didier. The other day, you winked at us and said, "Come on, give us some problems." What problems have you identified from your perspective?

Problems? I don't have problems; I only have solutions to find, which is perhaps simpler. When I can't find the best solution, I choose the least bad one. But obviously, there are still areas where we need to improve. We have had some difficult starts to games, sometimes being a bit tentative. This has happened a few times, even though games last 90 minutes.

As I told you before the match against Sweden, even though we conceded only two goals in the first three group stage matches, we allowed the opponent many situations and opportunities. Against Sweden, those were not clear-cut chances, but there were still many shots from near or inside the penalty area. It then depends on how long the opponent has possession, but that is football. Over time, a team can become dangerous, and if they are efficient, they can cause damage.

So, that's it. Then, it is about the relationships between players, the connections between lines, creating greater complementarity, and even seeing the chemistry between players through the games they can participate in, obviously, through training, although when we have a game every three to four days, training is usually lighter, but also through videos and discussions, this is always possible. I will not be satisfied with what we have already achieved; there are always areas for improvement.

Hello, Didier, we greatly appreciate the attacking organization of the French team, but there is less discussion about the midfield. How important are players like Aurélien Tchouameni to the team's balance? Also, what role does Adrien Rabiot play in the French team's success?

It's obvious, but we talk about the attack because we score goals and are able to create many chances. It would be even better if we were more efficient. Attacking players are always in the spotlight, but in the connection between defense and attack, the midfield is obviously crucial, whether it's Adrien, Aurélien, or Manu (Koné) when he starts, as he obviously provides balance, particularly in terms of winning back possession and whether we are pressing high.

And, obviously, in providing the best passes for our attacking players, they are all important. So the lines cannot be separated; it's a puzzle that requires connections. But, like those two, I won't limit my midfield to just them, because more advanced players also play an important role when we don't have the ball.

Hello, Didier. Is everyone available to take part in the next training session? And is everyone available to play in tomorrow's match? My second question: it is very hot, as we all know. To what extent is that more of a disadvantage for a team that dominates the game and controls the rhythm, which is the role France is expected to play tomorrow?

Regarding player availability, only Thuram is still undergoing individual adaptive training. He is much better, has resumed running, and will definitely continue today, but obviously will not take part in group training. Everyone else is fine. The weather is very hot, but it has no specific impact on offense or defense. We knew it would be hot, and we did the necessary work through different solutions, although so far we haven't felt it has been that hot. The first three days after we arrived in Clairefontaine were also very, very hot, with a three-day heat period, although tomorrow's temperature should drop slightly compared to today.

Will there be rain or thunderstorms? I hope not, because last time we stayed in the locker room for two hours. But this is a factor we are already aware of, and I think all teams have already dealt with the potential impact. Yes, it is not specific to us; when physical effort is required, it is the same for all teams.

This is our fifth match, so some physical capacity has been depleted, and recovery time may vary, as does playing time. But, well, I am not fixated on high temperatures, though it is a factor we are all aware of. That is why, I repeat, through the medical team, we have done our best to implement different solutions to limit its impact.

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