France-Espagne: “Quand le résultat vous échappe, on cherche souvent des excuses…”, de la Fuente répond aux doutes de Deschamps sur l’arbitrage

The highly anticipated World Cup semi-final clash between France and Spain ended decisively, with the French national team’s American dream abruptly halted by a 0-2 loss. Despite entering the match with an impressive six consecutive victories in the tournament, Les Bleus were unable to overcome Spain’s collective strength and tactical mastery. This defeat marks a recurring pattern, as France was previously eliminated by La Roja in the Euro 2024 and Nations League 2025 at similar stages.

Post-match, French coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged his team’s technical shortcomings, stating, “We were below par technically. That’s our fault.” However, he also expressed reservations regarding the officiating. “I’m going to ask a question: does the referee have the standard required to officiate a semi-final? I won’t answer it myself, but there were quite a few incidents…” he commented.

Deschamps reiterated his sentiments shortly thereafter, adding, “If I say anything, I’ll be seen as a complainer because we lost. But I ask you the question of whether the referee has the level for a semi-final. There was the penalty, but it wasn’t just that; it was an accumulation. I have nothing against tonight’s referee, but consider the question yourself.”

“i don’t believe the referee favored either team”

When asked to address Deschamps’ remarks, Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente delivered a pointed reply. “When the result slips away, people often look for excuses… We also faced challenging moments with the refereeing, for instance against Uruguay. This comes from the referees’ desire to let the game flow,” de la Fuente explained during his press conference.

He further elaborated, “If Deschamps truly said that… Both teams endured the same officiating. I don’t believe the referee showed any bias towards one team. He disallowed one of our goals for offside. But I’m not focusing on the refereeing. Everyone should strive for improvement: the referees, VAR, ourselves – all participants in this celebration that is football, so we can all get better every day.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, Spanish captain Rodri also weighed in on the officiating. “For three matches now, we’ve been dealing with this type of situation. We’re talking about 10 or 15 fouls not called. And if they’re not called, defenders continue doing the same thing. The permissiveness is clear, especially today. But he (the referee) had a great match,” Rodri stated when questioned about the numerous fouls suffered by Lamine Yamal during the game.

After a match marked by disappointing individual performances and potential tactical missteps from Didier Deschamps, Les Bleus will aim to conclude their World Cup journey on a positive note in the third-place play-off on Saturday (11 PM), which will be Deschamps’ final match in charge. Meanwhile, the Spanish squad will vie for their second World Cup title (following their 2010 victory) against either Argentina or England in the final.