The upcoming Euro 2024 quarter-final between Portugal and France will undoubtedly bring back painful memories for the former Les Bleus of Didier Deschamps.
So, France will play against Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, on Friday evening in Hamburg. A poster that inevitably brings back bad memories for Didier Deschamps and some of his players. Remember: on July 10, 2016, the Blues faced the Seleção in the Euro final. Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, N'Golo Kanté and Kingsley Coman are already in the game, but they are not the most shocking.
Among the Blues, the most famous is undoubtedly André-Pierre Gignac, who came very close that day to giving the Tricolores victory. While the score was goalless, the French striker, in stoppage time, launched an inspiring sequence in the open area, however he saw his shot hit the left post of the Lusitanian cage. The Blues had wasted their chance. In extra time, Eder finds the mistake, and the result we know is (0-1).
Andre-Pierre Gignac's shot hits the post in the Euro 2016 final (Sport Icon)
“I haven't slept in months”
A painful episode for the former Marseille player, who has been playing in Mexico since 2015, with the Monterrey Tigers.
“When I see the defender pressing in the middle and the goalkeeper comes out, I try to hit him as best I can. It takes a little bounce, but with a strange impact it hits the post, He said in March 2021 on RMC Sport.
It's crazy. I don't know if this is fate, I don't know what you could call it.
“Usually, the ball falls at Antoine's feet. (Griezmann). It's sick when you think about it! Antoine is one meter away from the ball. And with that impact, instead of coming back to him, he goes to the side, it's crazy…, he added. I haven't slept in months. “I wasn't depressed or anything, not that bad. But in the days after the final, when I went back home to Cassis, I dreamt that I scored the goal and that I was celebrating with my friends…”
