France manager Didier Deschamps gave an interview to French media after his team's 3-1 victory over Colombia. During the interview, he fiercely criticized Colombia's aggressive playing style.
“This match was extremely intense (he sighed). We both know that's how South American teams play. Especially that moment when Olise was tackled during the final attack... Fortunately, he jumped up in time, otherwise he might have ended up with only one leg! However, it's good to play friendly matches against weaker opponents... The players are eager for victory. That's good, full of passion, and very beneficial for the players. It gives us the opportunity to conduct two high-quality practice sessions,”
Deschamps said.
When further pressed by reporters about the reason for his dissatisfaction after the match, Deschamps added: "The problem was that tackle on Michael (Olise): if he hadn't jumped, his leg could have been broken! We're just playing a friendly match... Aggression.
Well, we know what that means, but this was a bit too much. And such actions aren't always penalized. I told the fourth official, we're not playing American football! Tackles aren't even allowed in American football! Fortunately, there were no serious consequences."
Speaking about the reason for his constant lineup adjustments, Deschamps stated: "I need to experiment with different lineups, which is why some players haven't returned from a management perspective. Many players couldn't come back, so I do this every time. Now the league is entering its final stage, and the Champions League is approaching... Obviously, this is the most important period for their clubs," Deschamps said.
