Pavard comes out to defend Deschamps: "I can die for him on the pitch"

In the worst moments is when you most need the affection of those closest to you, this must be what Benjamin Pavard, Bayern Munich and French national team player, thinks, who publicly came out in defence of the national coach.

"We are close to Didier Deschamps. He is an important person who came to see me in Stuttgart when no one else would see me. I owe him a lot, I can die for him on the pitch," the player told 'Telefoot'. 

The coach came out publicly on the same channel to talk about the mood of the French ahead of this new UEFA Nations League window and the preparation for the World Cup in Qatar, assuring that "it is not a calm and serene climate" that they are experiencing.

The Pogba and his brother issue, along with the alleged troubles of the French Football Federation (FFF) and its president, Noel Le Graet, have led to even more unity in the dressing room than there already seemed to be. It remains to be seen whether it will have enough effect on the French team, who face Austria in a few days' time and will be playing to stay in Group A.