Euro 2024: Didier Deschamps praises under fire France duo Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe - ‘Hanging in there'
Published 06/07/2024 at 09:29 GMT+1
France are through to the semi-finals of another major tournament, but the run has been overshadowed by a raft of criticism for their blunt record in front of goal. Les Bleus have failed to score a goal from open play in each of their last six games, having progressed to the last four via a penalty and two own goals. Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe have taken plenty of flak for that run.
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Didier Deschamps spoke out in support of Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe after France squeezed into the Euro 2024 semi-finals with a penalty shoot-out win over Portugal.
Les Bleus have been largely underwhelming in their pursuit of a third European title, and a first in 24 years.
Deschamps’ side now hold an unwanted Euros record of becoming the first team in the competition's history to reach the semi-finals without scoring a goal in open play.
This is despite an attacking line-up which includes the likes of Griezmann, Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Randal Kolo Muani.
With much of the scrutiny on Griezmann and Mbappe in particular, Deschamps was keen to praise the resilience of both players.
He said: "I will always defend my players. Kylian [Mbappe] and Antoine [Griezmann] are not playing their best football but, despite this, we're here.
"Of course, both are supposed to make us more efficient, and we lack efficiency, but they are hanging in there. They are part of a team.
"Beyond their football qualities, there is still a team strength that is alive. We had good substitutions, and it's worked up until now."
Deschamps admitted that the lack of goals was an obvious problem, and spoke in more detail about Mbappe’s struggles at the tournament so far.
“We need to score more goals.
“When you score more goals, you can manage things. [Otherwise], we are at the mercy of our opponent.
“He [Mbappe] was tired. [Kylian] is always very honest with me and the team, when he feels he doesn’t have the capacity to accelerate. We cannot lose a player but with everything that has happened, the trouble with his back [before the tournament] and the trauma with his nose, he is there. He is not in his top form but, with his efforts, he felt very tired.”
Meanwhile, Dembele was also keen to give French critics a reality check after what has been a highly-impressive recent record at major tournaments.
Taking a shock last-16 exit to Switzerland at Euro 2020 aside, France were Euro 2016 finalists, won the 2018 World Cup and reached the final in Qatar again four years later.
"Since 2014, the French national team has done very well apart from at Euro 2020 when we went out in the last 16," added Dembele.
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"Our character has got stronger and we show solidarity. There have been difficult matches this year. We have reached the semi-finals and that shows how solid the team is.
"From a defensive point of view, we did a great job. That's how we won the match. We were solid and we kept that."
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