Didier Deschamps says his team will be prouder than ever to wear the blue, white and red of France against England on Tuesday as a response to last week's terror attacks in Paris.
The match at Wembley had looked in doubt following a series of co-ordinated attacks in the French capital on Friday, one of which targeted the Stade de France.
France's 2-0 victory against world champions Germany was soon forgotten about after details emerged of the carnage that was unfolding throughout Paris. So far 129 people have died as a result of the horrifying attacks, with hundreds more still receiving treatment in hospitals around the city.
On Monday evening in London, France manager Deschamps faced the media for the first time since Friday.
The captain of France's 1998 World Cup-winning team appeared emotional throughout his news conference at Wembley, especially when he was asked to discuss the victims of the violence.
"In the face of such an atrocity, such brutality, it's difficult to find the words," he said. "We're all thinking, staff, players, of the victims and their families who are in pain and will stay that way. I don't want to comment more than that today.
"You know why we're here and what this match represents tomorrow. There will not only be a sporting dimension but much more.
"We're here with the players and the staff to represent our country and to show that we're proud to be French in an historic, marvellous venue and with an English people that I'd like to thank for all their gestures of solidarity.
"There's not only them but we're in England and I'm convinced that tomorrow's match will be full of emotion. We'll have this role to fulfil tomorrow."
Deschamps also took time to pay tribute to Lassana Diarra, the French midfielder who travelled with the squad to London despite losing his cousin in Friday's attacks.
"Sport is a representation of harmony, of diversity and to go back over the remarkable message of Lassana Diarra, it has neither colour, nor religion," Deschamps said. "That has always been the case and it should stay that way."
The former Marseille and Monaco boss also confirmed that his players had not been aware of the full gravity of Friday's events until after their game against Germany.
Two loud explosions were heard during the first half of the match as suicide bombers tried but failed to gain entry to the Stade de France.
French President Francois Hollande was evacuated from the ground at that stage but the game continued as normal.
"We were concentrated on our match on Friday without having heard the two or three explosions, without really knowing what had happened" Deschamps said. "We were only really made aware at the end of our match.
"We were obviously able to become aware of the tragedy around the stadium and also in the centre of Paris.
"After the game, the German delegation were there and were under the responsibility of the French state. Being a national team, and independent of the problem of whether security could be guaranteed, we stayed with them."
The German squad ended up staying the whole night in the stadium and Deschamps said he had felt the need to show solidarity with the visitors before the French team returned to their headquarters at Clairefontaine.
"It was very important for me that we might stay there with them until we found a solution that suited them," he said. "We left very late and we arrived in the middle of the night at Clairefontaine where we tried to eat and to sleep.
"I won't hide from you that the night was very short for everyone."