Didier Deschamps clearly isn’t buying the claim from the Egyptian manager about the referees in their loss to Argentina.
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the officiating during Argentina’s Round of 16 tie against Egypt, with many saying that the referee favoured the Albiceleste.
However, Didier Deschamps, who has been on the receiving end of a thriller against Argentina on the World Cup stage, seemed to believe that Egypt was making much ado about nothing.
Didier Deschamps hopes Argentine referees are as good as Argentina vs. Egypt officials
Speaking in a press conference ahead of France’s quarter-final matchup against Morocco, Didier Deschamps was asked about the all-Argentine officiating crew assigned to their game.
Deschamps didn’t make much of the referee lineup, while hoping that he wanted the refereeing to be as good as it was in the Argentina-Egypt tie.
“I hope tomorrow’s referee is as good as Mr. Letexier and his assistants were in the Argentina-Egypt match. My opponent is Morocco, not the referee.”
The lead referee for the Round of 16 tie was Francois Letexier, a French official. Despite him facing heavy backlash for his calls against Egypt, Deschamps admired his officiating.
France aiming for third consecutive FIFA World Cup final appearance
With a spot in the semi-final at play, France will be motivated to get the best of Morocco in a rematch of their 2022 semi-final.
France have been the standout team this tournament, and will be looking to reach the World Cup final for the third time in a row, becoming the third country to do so behind Brazil and Germany.
However, they do face a huge hurdle in the semi-final, as they would have to play Belgium, who gave them a scare on the same stage in the 2018 World Cup, or Spain, who dismantled them in the semi-final of the 2024 Euros.
So far, France have looked a cut above the rest. But they will need to maintain that level to advance in the tournament.
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