Didier Deschamps strongly criticized the refereeing after France's defeat to Spain on Tuesday night in the World Cup semi-final. Beaten 2-0 and eliminated from the final, Les Bleus left the pitch feeling they had been dominated and wronged by several decisions. Speaking to M6, the French coach directly questioned the competence of the referee chosen to officiate the match : "I'm going to ask a question, and I'm not going to answer it: is this referee qualified to officiate a World Cup semi-final?"
Didier Deschamps felt that several decisions had been made to France's detriment, both during this semi-final and in previous matches of the competition : "We had a few of them and I'm not going to respond to them. And it's not because we lost today that I'm saying this, but there were certain situations... Often to our disadvantage as well."
An unfair and unusual criticism of the refereeing by the French coach, which testifies to his powerlessness and frustration in the face of a Spain that dominated Les Bleus in all areas.
Criticisms already voiced during the match
The coach had voiced his displeasure even before the final whistle. At halftime, with France trailing, he disputed the origin of Spain's first goal and criticized the referee for not sufficiently penalizing La Roja's fouls. France, however, never managed to turn the tide. Spain maintained possession, limited French attacking opportunities, and punished Les Bleus' mistakes. The second goal definitively put Didier Deschamps' players in a very difficult position.
Despite his criticism of the referee, the coach acknowledged that the primary causes of the defeat lay with France : "The first reason is that we were a bit below par and less dangerous offensively than we could have been. With a few technical errors and passes that could have led to situations and opportunities."
"We were a step below technically."
Didier Deschamps admitted that his players lacked precision and control against a more technically gifted Spanish side. Les Bleus lost possession several times in areas where they could have accelerated the game and failed to sufficiently trouble the opposing goalkeeper : “There is obviously a lot of disappointment. The players are devastated because we had high ambitions. Even so, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a step below technically against a team that knew what they were doing. It's primarily our fault.”
The coach also acknowledged that Spain had produced more during this semi-final : "In this match, Spain showed something extra. I don't take anything away from the quality of this Spanish team, which controlled the game."
A French attack that was not dangerous enough
France never managed to establish a sustained attacking presence in the Spanish half. Their forwards received few touches in promising positions, and their forward passes often lacked precision. Didier Deschamps lamented these technical errors, which prevented his team from creating more chances : "We have to accept it; this is top-level football, even if it hurts. This was the final step before this potential final."
This elimination caused deep disappointment in the locker room. The French had come with the ambition of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final after those of 2018 and 2022. Their journey ended against a more efficient and consistent Spain.
Saliba was unable to finish the match
The coach also addressed the physical condition of his squad. He believed his players had sufficiently recovered from the exertion of the previous rounds, but William Saliba was unable to finish the match : "I thought we had recovered quite well. But William Saliba can't continue... These are things that aren't going our way."
Didier Deschamps pointed out that the succession of matches, the travel, and the conditions of this World Cup had taken their toll on the players' bodies : "Naturally, there have been complications related to this competition here for all the teams."
Deschamps promises to play the third-place match "all out".
Eliminated from the title race, France must now play the third-place match. Didier Deschamps has assured everyone that he will not neglect this final encounter, despite the pain of the defeat : "So we're going to play the third-place match. We're going to play it; it doesn't take anything away from what we've accomplished."
The coach wants to finish the competition with a victory and preserve France's overall record : "I'm fully committed, I'm going to prepare the match with the players... With the goal of doing everything to go all the way."
Didier Deschamps refuses to reduce France's World Cup campaign to this elimination. He acknowledges, however, that the failure is difficult to accept after reaching the final hurdle : "We didn't succeed, the disappointment is there. It's intense. It's a World Cup, but I'm not going to take away what we did well and very well."
