French newspaper L'Équipe reports that Konaté has now dropped to fourth among France's centre-backs, and the player is surprised and frustrated by this situation.

For Konaté, it felt like just another grueling day, but he did not expect things to reach this point. At the European Championship two years ago, the French defender, due to inadequate preparation, did not play a single minute throughout the tournament and had already been relegated behind the Upamecano-Saliba pairing. To understand his mindset at that time, one need only revisit his comments made in that small room in Paderborn.

"I knew my place before the first match. There is frustration, but I know my role. I will stay focused, I will stay determined. My job is not to show frustration." He explained in a refreshingly candid statement at the time: "He (Saliba) deserves these minutes. I've spoken with him and told him this is his moment. When I'm back at 100%, things will be intense. (Laughs)"

Two years later, despite a turbulent year but remaining consistently solid, Konaté's situation has not improved. Given the excellent seasons of Upamecano and Saliba, and Konaté's more difficult campaign, which was compounded by personal tragedies—he lost his father as well as his friend and teammate Diogo Jota—Deschamps unhesitatingly stuck with the Bayern and Arsenal centre-back pairing. This was a logical footballing choice, which Deschamps had already explained internally, and Konaté accepted it. What truly surprised everyone came after. On Friday night, at left centre-back, Lacroix started and played in the match against Norway (France won 4-1). Although he played only 15 minutes, he performed well and earned internal recognition.

Was this merely a temporary choice? Far from it. The coaching staff greatly appreciates Lacroix's energy. Konaté's performance in the June 4 friendly against Ivory Coast was also deemed inconsistent. In recent days, the future Real Madrid defender had already decided to finalize his club prospects before the match to completely ease his concerns. He also realized that his former Senlis teammate had gained an advantage. Privately, he made no secret of his surprise and disappointment. This is understandable for a player accustomed to major tournaments and Champions League matches, who has competed at the highest level for a long time. Moreover, this decision came at a moment when Konaté felt he was in peak form.

However, the Paris-based player is not one to dwell on setbacks. Within the French squad, Konaté has shown no negative emotion nor expressed his dissatisfaction directly to the coaching staff. He has maintained his daily routine: waking early to go to the gym for strength training, followed by high-intensity training sessions. This attitude is viewed positively internally. This Saturday, he also took the opportunity to get some fresh air when his mother, sister, several siblings, nieces, and nephews came to Boston.

After three weeks of competition, Konaté does not appear resigned. A close associate explained: "He is determined. He has competed in major tournaments and knows he must always be ready, no matter what." The question now is whether, whether playing at left or right centre-back, Konaté can reclaim his position as the first alternative behind the Upamecano-Saliba pairing in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and beyond. Lacroix's solid performance last Friday probably did not settle this debate.

Traducido por IA.

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