France coach Didier Deschamps expressed disappointment and frustration with the refereeing decisions made during the World Cup semi-final match against Spain.
Deschamps questioned the decision to appoint Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton, saying, "There is obviously a lot of disappointment. The players are devastated because we had high ambitions, although we have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a step below technically against a team that knew what they were doing."
Deschamps also pointed out the impact of Barton's decisions, stating, "We've had a few of those situations, and I'm not going to answer them. And I'm not saying this because we lost today, but there have been certain situations... often unfavourable to us, too."
In a separate interview, Deschamps emphasized that his team's performance was not solely the result of the refereeing, saying, "I'm not going to dwell on it because otherwise I'll sound like a cry-baby. Is the referee up to the standard of officiating a World Cup semi-final? That's for you to decide."
Deschamps also acknowledged that his team made technical errors and missed passes that could have led to situations and chances, stating, "We made a few technical errors and missed passes that could have led to situations and chances. We have to accept it, this is the highest level, even if it hurts."
Spain captain Rodri also expressed his dissatisfaction with Barton's performance, saying, "We've been dealing with this type of situation for three games now, we're talking about 10 or 15 uncalled fouls. And if we don't call them, the defences keep doing the same thing. The permissiveness is obvious."
Despite their disappointment, France will play in the third-place match against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, with Spain set to face either England or Argentina in the World Cup final.
