Adrien Rabiot referred to his contract situation with Juventus when discussing the importance of the World Cup to his career.
The 27-year-old midfielder is expected to play a leading role in France’s midfield at the World Cup in Qatar, with injuries to Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante limiting Didier Deschamps’ options a little. Rabiot was not part of the France squad for their 2018 triumph, so he’ll be extra keen to make an impact on the world stage in the coming weeks.
Speaking in a press conference, Rabiot discussed what the France call up means to him and how important the World Cup is.
“The call-up I don’t take it as payback for 2018. I worked hard to be here, it’s a great opportunity to be here as a starter.
“It won’t necessarily be a turning point in my career, but it can help me a lot, being in the last year of my contract with Juventus.”
He commented on France’s mindset and ambitions heading into the tournament in Qatar.
‘I’m here to help my teammates, it’s natural because I want to win. I prefer to be in the heart of the game, then the coach will decide and I think he will make the right decision.
“The important thing is that we stick together, try to have as few things as possible that interfere with the squad. We have the potential to do much better than in the European Championship.”
Finally, Rabiot discussed the impact of losing Pogba and Kante to injury ahead of the World Cup.
“I don’t feel any particular pressure, even though it’s my first World Cup. But I don’t feel any particular pressure being the most experienced player, the one who is expected the most.
“We want to try to make history and confirm the title of four years ago.”
Rabiot’s contract expires with Juventus at the end of this season and a renewal seems unlikely at this stage, with the Frenchman commanding an incredibly high salary.
1 million a year, or go your ways