Deschamps Praises 'Extraordinary' French Players After World Cup Semifinal Berth

Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national football team, lauded his players following their victory over Morocco and their subsequent qualification for the 2026 World Cup semifinals. This marks the third consecutive World Cup appearance in the final four for France.

"This is three consecutive semifinals, which is good, but even if it seems logical and natural, it must be achieved. Obviously, I have extraordinary players, otherwise we wouldn't get this far," Deschamps stated in the mixed zone. He acknowledged the challenges faced during the match, noting that a missed penalty and unconvert ed chances could have made the game more difficult.

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Sono tre semifinali consecutive, questo va bene ma, anche se sembra logico e naturale, bisogna ottenerlo. Ovviamente ho giocatori straordinari, altrimenti non arriveremmo fin qui.

Deschamps emphasized the players' commitment, saying, "The players have that duty to give their all. Sometimes it works out, not always, but it's about doing everything possible to get as high as possible. We are back among the last four, that's why we came here."

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I giocatori hanno quel dovere di dare il massimo. A volte funziona, non sempre, ma si tratta di fare tutto il possibile per arrivare il più in alto possibile. Siamo di nuovo tra gli ultimi quattro, è per questo che siamo venuti qui.

Looking ahead, the coach expressed satisfaction with the team's position: "It's great. We are where we wanted to be, so now we will recover well and tomorrow we will see who our opponent will be." France awaits the winner of the match between Spain and Belgium, scheduled for July 10.

Regarding Kylian Mbappé's missed penalty, Deschamps commented that the player "never hesitates when taking a shot." He suggested that the referee's decision-making process, which involved a delay and review before the penalty kick, may have affected Mbappé. Deschamps expressed frustration with the back-and-forth, stating, "I asked the fourth official. He told me that 'the problem is that first (the VAR) confirms the decision and then asks again, and there is another review.' I told him: 'Well, let him wait as long as he has to wait and do things properly instead of going back and forth.' But that's it, it is what it is," the French strategist concluded.

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Kylian non esita mai a tirare. Credo che sia stato condizionato dall'andata e ritorno nella decisione dell'arbitro.