Didier Deschamps claimed that a virus in the France team contributed to their appalling start to the World Cup final on Sunday, but he refrained from attributing full responsibility for Les Bleus’ defeat.
Argentina won in a penalty shootout after a remarkable 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium prevented France from becoming the first team to retain the World Cup since 1962.
Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick helped France force extra time and penalties, but Deschamps’ team got off to a slow start and became the first team to go the entire first half of a World Cup final without taking a shot.
When France defeated Morocco in the semifinals four days earlier, Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were absent due to illness. Several other players reportedly experienced symptoms in the days leading up to the championship match.
When questioned about the virus’s spread following Sunday’s loss, Deschamps claimed that it contributed to France’s sluggish start.
“The whole squad has been facing a tricky situation for a while now, maybe that had a physical and psychological impact,” Deschamps said.
“But I had no concerns about the players who started the match. They were 100 per cent fit, but we only had four days since the last match so perhaps there is some tiredness.
“That’s not an excuse but we didn’t show the same energy as previous matches and for the first hour we weren’t in the match.
“In those first 70 minutes or so, we were playing a very aggressive and dynamic opponent and we weren’t at the same level for a number of reasons.
“We managed to come back from the dead and made a magnificent comeback from a very difficult situation.”
Deschamps expressed his displeasure with France’s first-half performance by making two substitutions before halftime in a World Cup match, pulling Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele.
Deschamps praised the players he introduced, Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani, for reviving the match despite Les Bleus’ failure to win the trophy for a third time.
“I went through a lot of different emotions tonight,” Deschamps said. “There are some regrets because we were so close to winning but it wasn’t to be.
“There were a number of reasons why, we had a very strong opponent and we were lacking a bit of energy from some key players.
“We had some young inexperienced players who came on and brought some freshness and quality. They got us back in the match to keep the dream alive.”
