News Focus
- Former Chelsea and France defender backs PSG’s final victory over Arsenal
- William Saliba urged to show his club form for the French national team
- Xabi Alonso needs full control and a smaller squad to succeed at Stamford Bridge
Former Chelsea and France defender Franck Leboeuf has shared his views on the biggest stories in European football. The World Cup winner spoke exclusively to Get French Football News about three major topics.
Leboeuf believes Paris Saint-Germain deserved their Champions League triumph against Arsenal. The French side won the final on penalties last week. The ex-Chelsea star said PSG were the better team throughout the match. He noted that Arsenal took the lead but then failed to keep possession. The Gunners struggled to control the ball after scoring. Meanwhile, PSG dominated play for most of the game. Leboeuf admitted the match was tense and tactical. He called the penalty shoot-out a lottery. However, he insisted the correct team lifted the trophy.
The former centre-back also discussed William Saliba. He agreed with William Gallas’ recent comments about the Arsenal defender. Gallas said Saliba must improve his performances for France. Leboeuf thinks the young defender looks quiet when playing for his country. He appears less confident than he does for Arsenal. Leboeuf wants Saliba to show more bravery in a France shirt. He believes the player has outstanding quality. The defender just needs to express himself better at international level.
Finally, Leboeuf gave his view on Chelsea’s new manager. Xabi Alonso joined the Blues after leaving Bayer Leverkusen. Leboeuf thinks the Spaniard is the perfect choice for the job. However, he warned that Alonso needs full control. The manager must choose which players stay and which leave. Chelsea currently have a very large squad. Alonso needs to identify his key players quickly. He must build a strong defence and attack. Leboeuf compared this to Alonso’s work in Germany. At Leverkusen, the manager built a winning team with clear leaders.