“A bone to chew on”, Deschamps hits out at media over Dembélé

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·22 Juni 2026

“A bone to chew on”, Deschamps hits out at media over Dembélé

Didier Deschamps, head coach of the France national team, spoke at a press conference ahead of Les Bleus’ match against Iraq this Monday evening in the 2nd round of the World Cup (kick-off at 11 p.m., live on M6 and beIN SPORTS). He had strong words in response to a question about difficulties for Ousmane Dembélé, the 29-year-old forward for Paris Saint-Germain and Les Bleus.

Deschamps: “You’re on his back”

“You’re on his back, there’s a bone for you to chew on. He had a difficult first half, like the team, because of what Senegal brought and also because we made a lot of technical mistakes. Ousmane plays as a centre-forward at PSG, but that’s not the case here. There are natural habits, so adjustments need to be found, even though he was much better in the second half. He also depends on the others. Senegal closed down the middle and we were going there far too much. As soon as we managed to open things up a bit and force their full-backs to spread out, it left more space.”, comments relayed by RMC Sport.

Deschamps is annoyed, and it’s understandable. There is a feeling that people are always looking for negative angles. The desire to improve is logical, especially since a certain level of high standards is needed with this rather impressive squad, which should aim high. However, there is no need to overdramatize things or single out certain players. Especially when it is done unfairly.

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Football is not just about statistics, even less so when people only talk about goals and assists. Creating a chance matters too, not to mention the importance of movement. Or defensive work. It is rare for the full picture to be considered when judging a player’s performance. And we must not forget the collective around him, because a player only exists within a team.

Of course, that does not change the fact that Dembélé and the France national team still need to work to produce better performances. There is potential that seems higher than what we have seen so far. But one player should not be singled out.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.