It was a Friday evening, 7:15 PM, in one of the French national team’s hotel lounges, in the heart of Washington. Les Bleus had just returned from Northwest Stadium after their first training session in the American capital, in preparation for their friendly match against Colombia. At that moment, Maxence Lacroix entered the vast workspace, a cup of coffee in hand. “I’m taking my time to savor this moment,” whispered the Crystal Palace player. At 25 years old, he exuded an air of calm and serenity before placing his mobile phone on the desk. An interview was about to begin.
