From World Cup hero to scapegoat! Harsh criticism of Bayern star Michael Olise | OneFootball

Michael Olise was one of the tournament’s standout players right up until the World Cup semifinals. However, after the 0-2 loss to Spain, the mood in France has taken a sudden turn. The media and fans are coming down hard on the Bayern star.

Before the semifinal against Spain, Michael Olise was considered one of the Équipe Tricolore’s biggest hopes. With his assists and strong performances, the Bayern pro had earned a lot of praise in recent weeks.

In the 0-2 loss to the European champions, however, the 24-year-old was largely ineffective. France missed out on reaching its third consecutive World Cup final—and Olise subsequently found himself at the center of criticism.

Media tear into Olise’s performance

The French press was particularly harsh in its assessment. The renowned L’Équipe wrote in its player-by-player analysis that Lucas Digne and Michael Olise had “messed everything up.”

So Foot also didn’t hold back on criticism, describing the Bayern star’s performance as “non-match” and “fantomatique”—meaning ghostly.

The statistics underscore his poor performance: Olise didn’t attempt a single shot on goal and didn’t complete a single successful dribble. In addition, he lost possession 20 times on just 55 touches, completed only one of four crosses to a teammate, and made three ball recoveries.

Eurosport also gave a critical assessment of his performance, essentially writing that Olise had given up in the semifinal.

Fans are discussing big games

Photo: IMAGO

It wasn’t just the media that voiced criticism. The Frenchman’s performance was also the subject of intense discussion on social media.

One fan wrote that Olise had not only been “invisible,” but had actually hurt his team in midfield. Others, however, placed the blame on national team coach Didier Deschamps and criticized his tactical approach.

Another point of discussion was the lack of coordination in the French offense. Several fans complained that there was hardly any connection between players like Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise.

From a sporting perspective, Olise’s weaker performance is entirely understandable. Spain defended extremely compactly and put early pressure on France’s creative attacking players.

Despite the fierce criticism, a single weak performance is unlikely to diminish the Bayern star’s strong overall impression at this World Cup. Up until the semifinals, Olise was one of the tournament’s most standout players and played a decisive role in France’s run to the final four.