France coach Didier Deschamps’ dig at Egypt manager when defending Argentine referees vs. Morocco

Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty ImagesDidier 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.

Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty ImagesDidier Deschamps hopes Argentine referees are as good as Argentina vs. Egypt officialsSpeaking 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 appearanceWith 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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