Follow Us on Google
France coach Didier Deschamps said his players were “devastated” after Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final loss to Spain and also took a swipe at referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador.
Deschamps’ attacking French side had been one of the tournament’s standout teams on the way to the last four, scoring 16 goals in six matches and drawing comparisons with some of the greatest teams in World Cup history.
But France’s dreams of a third World Cup title were left in tatters after a dominant Spanish performance, leaving Deschamps, who is stepping down after the tournament, struggling for answers.
“Of course, there is a lot of disappointment,” Deschamps said immediately after the defeat at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“The players are devastated because we had a lot of ambition, even though we also have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a notch below on the technical level against a team that controlled the game well.
Other News
“But first of all, it’s our fault; I don’t want to blame anyone.”
Deschamps, though, could not resist firing a shot at referee Barton, who had awarded Spain an early penalty after Lucas Digne kicked Lamine Yamal in the first half.
“I’ll ask a loaded question, and I won’t answer it,” Deschamps said. “Is the referee at the level required to officiate a World Cup semi-final?
“And I’m not saying this just because we lost today. There were quite a few situations. There were some favourable calls, too,” he said, without elaborating.
