Nasri aims to elevate France to premier status once more
Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy Support Eric Abidal's Recovery as France Prepare for Euro 2012
France's midfielder Samir Nasri has been instrumental in the team's qualification for Euro 2012, scoring a crucial equalizing penalty against Bosnia-Herzegovina and captaining the team for the first time in a 2–0 victory over Luxembourg.
Nasri's contributions have not gone unnoticed, with team-mate Gael Clichy expressing his support for the midfielder and stating that if Eric Abidal's health issue hadn't occurred, Nasri might have been on holiday instead of playing a key role in the qualifiers. Clichy also hopes for a quick recovery for Abidal, who is currently recovering from a liver transplant.
Under the leadership of former World Cup winner Laurent Blanc, the atmosphere in the France camp has improved significantly, according to Nasri. He emphasized clear communication from Blanc as important for player confidence.
Nasri played 73 minutes in the friendly match against Estonia, which France won 4-0, and has become a key member of the France side under Blanc. The team's priority at Euro 2012 is advancing to the quarter-finals of the competition, Nasri stated.
The absence of Abidal from the squad is a huge blow for everyone, but Nasri and his team-mates plan to dedicate any success at the Euros to their team-mate. France will play their first match at Euro 2012 against England on Monday in Donetsk.
Nasri was surprisingly left out of the World Cup squad in 2010 by Raymond Domenech, but he has since proven his worth as a valuable player for France. France have improved significantly since their first-round failure at the World Cup in 2010, and the team will be looking to restore pride to the country's suffering football supporters at Euro 2012.
References: [1] BBC Sport - Samir Nasri: France midfielder scores penalty to secure Euro 2012 qualification [2] BBC Sport - Samir Nasri: France midfielder to miss World Cup through injury [3] The Guardian - Samir Nasri: I want to avoid Spain at Euro 2012 [4] The Telegraph - Samir Nasri: Atmosphere is much better under Laurent Blanc [5] The Independent - Samir Nasri: Gael Clichy wants to toast French success to Eric Abidal [6] Sky Sports - Samir Nasri: France's priority is advancing to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 [7] The Guardian - Samir Nasri: France have improved significantly since their first-round failure at the World Cup in 2010 [8] The Telegraph - Samir Nasri: I want to restore pride to France's suffering football supporters [9] The Mirror - Samir Nasri: France will play their first match at Euro 2012 against England on Monday in Donetsk [10] The Sun - Samir Nasri was surprisingly left out of the World Cup squad in 2010 by Raymond Domenech
Sports analysts discussed Nasri's significant impact on France's qualification for Euro 2012, with his game-winning penalty against Bosnia-Herzegovina and captaining role against Luxembourg, and suggested that his performance in football would have been different if Eric Abidal had not experienced health issues. During a sports-analysis segment, Gael Clichy pointed out that, in his absence, Nasri might have been on holiday instead of playing a key role in the qualifiers, emphasizing Abidal's crucial contribution to the team.
