Franck Ribéry says Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman can ‘make the difference’ against Germany

Ahead of Germany’s heavyweight clash against France, Bayern Munich legend Franck Ribéry has suggested the inclusion of Kingsley Coman in coach Didier Deschamps’s starting-XI for his country’s Euro 2020 opener.

“Of course Coman will play (against Germany),” said Ribéry, who starred as a guest speaker in the Bild podcast ‘EM-insider’ (as captured by Abendzeitung). “For me, he has to play.”

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At present, Coman isn’t accustomed to playing in France’s current setup. In the friendlies against Wales and Bolivia, Deschamps experimented with a 4-4-2 diamond/4-3-1-2 formation with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappé leading the line for Les Bleus. The two have formed a fluid attacking partnership with Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann, who has excelled in a supporting role at the tip of the midfield.

Instead of a winger like Coman, the full-backs have been tasked with providing width in the system. Moreover, Coman has missed a few training sessions with the national team due to muscular problems.

Nonetheless, big brother Ribéry believes that the 24-year-old has it in him to make the difference for France against the Germans.

“He is very important for the national team,” Ribéry remarked. “With his quality, his power and his dribbling strength, he can make the difference.”

Needless to say, a player with Coman’s quality brings flexibility to France’s roster. Although he should be able to play as an inside-forward in the current formation, if Deschamps decides to take out one central-midfielder and switch to 4-2-3-1 during the match, Coman could form a devastating wing-pairing with Mbappé.