France boss Didier Deschamps felt his side actually won their 2-2 draw with Greece on Tuesday night, lamenting the absence of goal-line technology but also praising his side for bossing their qualifying campaign despite a number of big changes to the squad since the World Cup a year ago.
Stunning strikes from PSG's Randal Kolo Muani and Monaco's Youssouf Fofana saw the scores locked at 2-2 with 15 minutes to go as France and Greece rounded out the Euro 2024 qualifying phase in Athens on Tuesday.
However, Les Bleus were left outraged when Kingsley Coman's tightly angled shot spun out of the goal after crossing the line and the goal - which would most likely have been a winner that would have seen France end qualifying with a 100% winning record - was waved away by the referee.
Deschamps: 'Surprising, to say the least'
Had the match been played in Ligue 1 Uber Eats, the referee's wristwatch would have signalled that the ball had crossed the line and the goal would have been awarded. But as it stood, play continued and the match ended 2-2.
"We're playing at a very high international level. It's surprising, to say the least, that there's no goal-line technology. These are qualifying phases. If our qualification had rested on the result of this match..." Deschamps mused before admitting to Les Bleus' culpability in allowing the scoreline to get to 2-2. "Even though it could have given us the win, it wasn't the absence of VAR that saw us concede two goals in five minutes."
Mbappé breather ahead of Monaco clash
Indeed, PSG defender Lucas Hernandez had a night to forget - his loss of possession leading to Greece's opener - as did club mate Kylian Mbappé, although for different reasons: Deschamps had opted to leave Mbappé on the bench.
"It was part of the discussions I had with the players to divide up the playing time and protect the players who are also playing on Friday," explained the France boss. "We'll be heading back to France at 05:00. I've done my utmost not to take any risks with certain players."
This will leave Mbappé fresh for Friday night's Ligue 1 Uber Eats clash with his former club AS Monaco - and confident after having captained France to an almost spotless Euro 20224 qualifying record. At any rate, Deschamps himself admitted to being well pleased with his Bleus' qualifying performance.
Deschamps: 'A very good transition'
"We're in a calendar year with the retirement of key players after the World Cup. We've made a very good transition by going unbeaten with a squad that's certainly younger but still in the same competitive frame of mind," he explained. "There was also a good spirit off the pitch. The French team remains at a very high level, even if the players change. It's satisfying to see the players maintain this level."
On an individual level, Fofana's performance was once again stellar, the Monaco midfielder unleashing an absolute rocket from distance and underlining the fact that, with strong showings, it is still possible to earn a place in Deschamps' superstar squad for next year's Euro.
"There's a lot of competition. Youssouf already did well in Nice (against Gibraltar on Saturday) when he replaced Warren [Zaïre-Emery] after his injury and tonight he scored another great goal," said Deschamps. "In March, I'm still going to need to season some new players."
The draw
Now Les Bleus' Euro 2024-related business is on hold until mid-2024, with the sole exception of the all-important draw, to be held on 2 December.
"I'll wait and see," Deschamps said when asked how he is feeling about the draw in which France will of course be seeded. "Obviously, given the countries that have qualified and the way the hats have been drawn, there are some uncertainties, with Italy and perhaps Croatia in hat 4, for example. But we've done everything we can to secure our place as seeded team. We'll just have to wait and see."
