Holder, three days earlier, against Italy and the origin of the transalpine equalizer because of a too strong pass from Lucas Da Cunha, Adrien Rabiot was on the bench, Monday, at the kick-off of the match against Belgium. The Milanese even had a say in the final moments of the match, Zinedine Zidane deciding to start him in the 88th minute to replace Eduardo Camavinga.
Before even taking the slightest step on the pitch, the AC Milan player found himself unwillingly at the heart of the tensions along the sidelines. According to information reported by commentator Jean-Louis Tourre on RMC, the nonchalance displayed by the player when preparing strongly caused the French bench to react.
“He warmed up at two an hour, he didn’t have his crampons, it drove the French team staff crazy,” described the journalist present in the stands of the Stade de France. A delay in ignition which exasperated the coach’s assistants, forced to wait before validating the change in money time.
Involved in the fourth French goal
However, once his shoes were laced and his feet were placed on the lawn, the former Marseillais responded. From his first shots, Adrien Rabiot immediately got in tune with the collective. Driving force in one of the final French offensives, he showed himself to his advantage by starting the sequence of the fourth French goal, concluded brilliantly by Michael Olise. A flashy but extremely clean appearance, which allowed the player to immediately compensate for his initial unpreparedness.
At the final whistle, the episode at the edge of the pitch seemed already to be filed away in the anecdotes department. The cameras captured a particularly warm exchange between Adrien Rabiot and Zinedine Zidane, the coach falling into the arms of his midfielder with a frank hug. No visible signs of resentment transpired between the two men.
The fact remains that this interlude highlights his current situation within the blue group. While competition rages in midfield, this substitute status questions the hierarchy established in the midfield, with some not hesitating to assert that the Milanese has definitively lost his starting place.
