Les Bleus in Boston

By Louise Peloquin

      Excitement is in the air as the World Cup kicked off on June 11^th giving the word “football” a whole new meaning in America.

Our very basic soccer expertise excludes valid sport commentaries or prognoses on the 2026 World Cup. Nonetheless, since Les Bleus, the French team, chose “The Hub” as its headquarters, our curiosity about the world’s most popular sport pushed us to scour dispatches for a behind-the-scenes peek at Gallic logistics.

On Wednesday June 1oth, over a hundred supporters warmly welcomed Les Bleus to Boston’s Four Seasons Hotel. Players like Ousmane Dembélé did not shirk from selfies with fans and star Kylian Mbappé (1) thrilled the crowd pressing around him  to catch a glimpse his flashing smile.

Team intendant (steward) since 2021, Johan Perez shared interesting details about the Boston sojourn.

“It took two to three weeks for our airfreighted equipment to pass through Boston. Each and every trunk, each and every piece of material was declared ahead of time in order to facilitate customs clearing. For a competition like the World Cup,” he added, “we also prepare sports apparel for traveling and unlabeled items because only FIFA-sponsored clothes are allowed before kickoff. I sent two tons of material to Boston for the World Cup!”

Each French player has three sets of jerseys which means 78 shirts per match. Perez stocked all of the equipment in a large room on the second floor of the Four Seasons.

“I have another room nearby, la salle de flocage. It’s got the machines for printing the team logo on our shirts and all those shirts. That way, nothing gets mixed up. Then there’s a room for socks and the non-sponsor-labeled items. I also have extra jerseys. And if ever a shoe is soiled with a coffee stain, I can replace it. We also have additional footballs, just in case.”

Johan Perez continues, “it is an organized mess because I know my equipment by heart. We have a lot of clothes and shoes and I can understand how someone can enter into these rooms and say ‘wow, there’s stuff everywhere!’ There are many boxes and trunks but I know exactly where every item is stored.”

It is interesting to note that two other full-time intendants work with a representative of Nike, the French team’s main sponsor which has a 100-million-euro-a-year contract until 2034. That’s approximately 115.23 million US dollars. The result is, as Perez said, “Nothing is ever missing because we always have everything. We always have extras in case an item is torn for example. We prepare accordingly.”

Then there’s the room where Les Bleus will have meals specially prepared by chef Xavier Rousseau assisted by Four Seasons chef, French compatriot Patrick Martineau. Rousseau particularly appreciates the fact that Martineau “is based here, knows all about the local products and will therefore provide counsel on creating menus with them.”

These menus will be classic ones to meet the players’ energy needs. Rousseau listed for example, “crudités (raw vegetables), two starches, meat, fish, a dessert buffet, fruit and a little panna cotta, all light choices.”

Sharing meals are moments of conviviality and times when players express their individual tastes. Rousseau, Les Bleus chef since 2017, said, “I am lucky enough to have the players’ trust. I listen to what they have to say and, from time to time, comments are negative, like ‘we would like something else.’ I remember one player who wanted roasted sweet potato. That happened one or two times. And so one day, the day before a match, I decided to serve it to everyone.”

Before or after meals, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates get massages given by expert physiotherapists like Guillaume Vassout who has worked for the French team for ten years and holds a very important role in the players’ physical preparation. One of the main objectives is facilitating recuperation with core training. Balneotherapy and cold baths are also included.

Then come the fitness room workouts. “Our job is to correct bad form,” explains Vassout. “These are very high-level players who have their own habits and know their own bodies better than we do. We accompany them. We’re not there to revolutionize their workout habits but rather to bring what suits them best.” (2)
Healthy eating and good sleep are vital for the French team as it enters into the World Cup competition with its match against Senegal on June 16th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Les Bleus are on a quest to win their 3^rd World Cup star. The first was in 1998 and the second in 2018. Some sports commentators think they’ve got a chance to reach it. We’ll find out on July 19^th.

***

1. For a photo of Kylian Mbappé being comforted by Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic after Les Bleus lost the 2022 World Cup to Argentina, see the photo below from: https://richardhowe.com/2022/12/18/world-cup-grande-tristesse-grande-fierte/
2. Translations of French dispatches by Louise Peloquin.

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