🇲🇽🇫🇷 Happy to announce that I'm accredited for the World Cup, and will be at the opening game in Mexico City as well as France's matches (and maybe a few more)! Feel free to get in touch if your outlet is looking for on-site coverage from CDMX/the East Coast: 📭 raphaeljucobin.pro@gmail.com

"Every year, I have less and less control" 🇭🇺 Ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday, I wrote about PSG's relatively laidback preparations, Luis Enrique's squad management, and the irritation that the team's perceived preferential treatment has prompted in Ligue 1:

Luis Enrique keeping chaos for Champions League after PSG’s stroll to Ligue 1 title

Luis Enrique has saved his stars for Europe with French champions benefiting from scheduling tweaks on way to title

theguardian.com

"Every year, I have less and less control" 🇭🇺 Ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday, I wrote about PSG's relatively laidback preparations, Luis Enrique's squad management, and the irritation that the team's perceived preferential treatment has prompted in Ligue 1:

Luis Enrique keeping chaos for Champions League after PSG’s stroll to Ligue 1 title

Luis Enrique has saved his stars for Europe with French champions benefiting from scheduling tweaks on way to title

theguardian.com

PSG clinched their fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title Wednesday in Lens, but their season-long rivals would have had more to play for (and the league would have had a better advert) had the LFP not postponed the match by a month. Latest article for GFFN x Guardian from Lens:

PSG are deserved Ligue 1 champions but Lens put up an admirable fight | Raphaël Jucobin

Pierre Sage has done a great job at Lens and the Coupe de France final next Friday offers them another shot at glory

theguardian.com

Very happy to announce that I'm accredited for this summer's World Cup! I'll be available for any on-site coverage needs (in English ou en français), whether around the French national team or the other teams. Portfolio of recent work in the thread below ⬇️ 📧 raphaeljucobin.pro@gmail.com

In theory a more straightforward task for PSG tonight, compared to last year’s trip here

Gleizes' mother Sylvie Godard doing the ceremonial kick-off for this afternoon's match

Raphaël Jucobin@rafajuc.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Lens were supposed to be hosting PSG tomorrow for a title-decider. Instead, they'll be playing a friendly to raise money for Reporters Without Borders. I spoke with Lens director Benjamin Parrot about the initiative, rivalling PSG, and how the area's mining heritage shapes their long-term strategy:

Lens were supposed to be hosting PSG tomorrow for a title-decider. Instead, they'll be playing a friendly to raise money for Reporters Without Borders. I spoke with Lens director Benjamin Parrot about the initiative, rivalling PSG, and how the area's mining heritage shapes their long-term strategy:

Wrote about France's mini-tour of the US this past week, where Les Bleus were mostly shielded from political issues as Kylian Mbappé successfully led a revamped and rotating forward line

Kylian Mbappé excited by France’s spectacular attack before World Cup

Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué, Hugo Ekitike and Marcus Thuram all played their parts in wins against Brazil and Colombia at the weekend

theguardian.com

Confirmation from the LFP that Lens v PSG has been postponed at the latter team's request (and despite Lens' refusal) to May 13 Lens will also have the option to play their fixture against Nantes on May 8 instead of May 9, in the event that PSG qualify for the Champions League semi-finals

Jean-Michel Aulas, Lyon's owner-president for 36 years, leads the polls ahead of the city's mayoral election this Sunday. The 76-year-old has big plans, but has also faced accusations of conflicts of interests and a tense political climate following the death of a far-right activist in the city:

Jean-Michel Aulas ruffles feathers in Lyon after swapping football for politics

Club’s former owner leads the polls in spiky mayoral race but is accused of putting forward ‘nothing of substance’

theguardian.com

The fact that France conceded almost 100 points over two games will be a worry for later – incredible composure from Ramos to nail that match winning kick

That makes it ten consecutive Six Nations fixtures Bielle-Biarrey has scored a try in

Any kind of win here will be enough for France to win the title, and an 86-point one would send England bottom

Raphaël Jucobin@rafajuc.bsky.social · 7mo ago

My preview of tomorrow's Six Nations finale between France and England, which Les Bleus have prepared for by going to the opera:

My preview of tomorrow's Six Nations finale between France and England, which Les Bleus have prepared for by going to the opera:

‘Wherefore art thou?’: France look to restore identity with outing to Romeo and Juliet

Fabien Galthié hopes an outing to the ballet can help Les Bleus put Scotland debacle behind them for Saturday’s Six Nations finale against England

theguardian.com

Jean-Michel Aulas, Lyon's owner-president for 36 years, leads the polls ahead of the city's mayoral election this Sunday. The 76-year-old has big plans, but has also faced accusations of conflicts of interests and a tense political climate following the death of a far-right activist in the city:

Jean-Michel Aulas ruffles feathers in Lyon after swapping football for politics

Club’s former owner leads the polls in spiky mayoral race but is accused of putting forward ‘nothing of substance’

theguardian.com

Thought he’d turned the corner with that steal for France’s first try but that ended up being one of Dupont’s poorest international performances (Moefana also struggled a lot in defence, far too many missed tackles) – Serin coming on earlier might have helped salvage an extra point

France managed to slice through Italy at the start and at the end of the game, but in the 60 minutes in-between the visitors gave them their toughest challenge so far this year. Match report from Lille yesterday:

Bielle-Biarrey and France power past Italy to keep Six Nations grand slam plans on track

Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored in a record eighth consecutive Six Nations match in France’s 33-8 Six Nations victory against Italy

theguardian.com

France miraculously escaped with a draw when they last faced Italy in Lille, two years ago If Italy’s performance against Ireland is anything to go by, it could be a similarly close game here tonight

Picked Gaël Dréan as a player to watch from France for this preview – he earns his first cap today as a result of a backline reshuffle following Jalibert’s injury Ramos returns to 10 and Attissogbe takes his place at 15

Raphaël Jucobin@rafajuc.bsky.social · 8mo ago

As expected, it's a Dupont-Jalibert pairing for France for Thursday's #SixNations opener against Ireland An in-form and UBB-heavy backline even with Penaud out, as Attissogbe takes his spot Previewed what to expect from the holders, who remain favourites despite major absences, for The Observer:

PSG with the chance to reclaim top spot by beating Metz after Lens slipped up against Monaco earlier today; Dro Fernández given his first start since signing from Barcelona

Roof closed here in Lille for tomorrow’s France v Italy match

As ordered by the court, PSG have now published the ruling in full on their website:

Raphaël Jucobin@rafajuc.bsky.social · 10mo ago

The breakdown of the €61m PSG have been ordered to pay Kylian Mbappé: - 36.6m for the third instalment of his signing-on bonus - 17.25m in wages from April to June 2024 - 1.5m in "ethics bonuses" - 5.54m in paid leave Contributed to BBC Sport's coverage of the ruling in Paris this afternoon:

Fabien Brau-Boirie with a fantastic debut, there’s a lot of competition in terms of French centres but wouldn’t be surprising to see him start more matches

Aleksander Čeferin on Infantino's comments about ending Russia's suspension: "I think this story became big for no special reason. He said we should look into it — of course, we should look into everything." “I don’t want to enter into disputes. UEFA’s position is clear and has not changed.”

Raphaël Jucobin@rafajuc.bsky.social · 8mo ago

📍Brussels UEFA’s annual congress and Nations League draw taking place here today

Nasser Al-Khelaifi is asked at the UEFA congress about the World Cup broadcasting controversy in France (which saw beIN win the rights over Ligue 1+): “Yesterday was a historic day for European football [referencing the UEFA-Real Madrid agreement]. I’m not interested in talking about conflicts.”

📍Brussels UEFA’s annual congress and Nations League draw taking place here today

Hard to see Ntamack getting his starting spot back straight away – what a first half from Jalibert

Minutes to go until this year’s #SixNations kicks off with France v Ireland in Paris Antoine Dupont making his return to international rugby here tonight, nearly a year on from suffering a knee injury against this very team

As expected, it's a Dupont-Jalibert pairing for France for Thursday's #SixNations opener against Ireland An in-form and UBB-heavy backline even with Penaud out, as Attissogbe takes his spot Previewed what to expect from the holders, who remain favourites despite major absences, for The Observer:

The essential Six Nations preview | The Observer

Rugby journalists from each of the competing nations share their previews and predictions for this year’s tournament, which begins on Thursday

observer.co.uk