Franck Leboeuf: England’s club focus hurts national team

In an exclusive interview with Get French Football News ahead of France’s first World Cup appearance, former World Cup winner Franck Leboeuf says England’s players have been far more invested in their clubs than the national team, a dynamic he warns could hinder England’s chances. Leboeuf notes a recent clip showing Kylian Mbappé and N’Golo Kanté ignoring each other, but argues the media may be creating a story where none exists. He recalls 2002 tensions in the French squad, citing fatigue from a World Cup that started two or three weeks early and a congested schedule that left insufficient recovery time. Turning to 2010, Leboeuf describes Raymond Domenech as a man who wanted to break everything, and points to the Netflix documentary "The Bus" where players rallied to protect Nicolas Anelka from an unjust eviction. He suggests the team bore the brunt of the controversy while Domenech tried to absolve himself of blame.

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Leboeuf praises Didier Deschamps for his ability to resolve locker‑room tensions, insisting no team with internal discord has ever won a World Cup. He cites England’s recent experience, where Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were allegedly pushed into a Chelsea‑Liverpool rivalry that damaged squad harmony. He highlights Spain’s 2010 triumph after the Real Madrid‑Barcelona rivalry was set aside, and says England can succeed by following Gareth Southgate’s approach, which mirrors Deschamps’ philosophy of valuing the eleven that works together over the eleven best players. Leboeuf adds that Thomas Tuchel’s selection of Ivan Toney reflects a focus on attitude as well as ability. Recalling Aimé Jacquet’s pre‑1998 World Cup directive, Leboeuf quotes, "listen, my choice is Laurent Blanc and Marcel Desailly. Maybe I’m making a mistake, maybe you think it’s unfair, but that’s how it is." He says the same principle of accepting the coach’s choices underpins today’s squad dynamics. Leboeuf concludes by noting his own open dialogue with Zinedine Zidane, recalling Zidane’s response, "yes, no problem Franck," which exemplified a lack of hierarchy. He believes Southgate and Tuchel are continuing this inclusive approach, which could help England grow and perhaps win the World Cup. This exclusive interview was conducted for Get French Football News and is courtesy of ToonieBet.