Didier Deschamps has shared his thoughts following his side’s shocking draw in the world cup qualifiers fixture, Iceland vs France.
France were forced to settle for a 2–2 draw against Iceland in a tense World Cup qualifying encounter at the Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, a result that turned out to be far more challenging than anticipated, the result had sparked mixed reactions one of which was the head coach of teh French side, Didier Deschamps.
The 2022 World Cup runners-up fell behind in the 39th minute when defender Victor Pálsson struck for the hosts. France appeared to turn the game around after the break, with Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring within five minutes to give Les Bleus the lead.
However, Iceland responded swiftly, as substitute Kristian Hlynsson netted the equaliser just two minutes later. Missing Kylian Mbappé through injury, alongside Ousmane Dembélé, Desire Doué, and Bradley Barcola, France’s young and reshuffled attack struggled to find a breakthrough in the closing stages.
After the match, head coach Didier Deschamps expressed his frustration with the officiating, particularly over Iceland’s first goal. Speaking to TF1, Deschamps insisted that Manu Koné had been fouled in the build-up to the opener, calling it a “clear foul” that the referee failed to spot.
He stated, “Having seen the footage, I think there was a clear foul on [Manu] Kone for the first goal. I’m not going to start crying, but sometimes they must be asleep… That the referee didn’t see it… I’m not going to blame the referees, but there were also decisions on minor fouls, perhaps because he is here, I had the impression that the environment could influence him a little bit.
“The first goal wasn’t a goal. After we conceded the second, it wasn’t the referee’s fault, not really… even if it was the opponent who scored it. That’s what I said to the players, after doing what we did and leading 2-1… But it’s true that on their first goal, I’ve seen it several times, there was a foul.
“The referee didn’t see it, we didn’t tell him, I’m not going to sum up the match on that, but with zero chances they were leading 1-0 at half-time. But we didn’t have many chances either, and I’m not taking anything away from this Icelandic team, which has confirmed that it has quality beyond its ability to repeat runs. It’s a good team.”
While acknowledging that his team could have done more, the coach hinted that some officiating decisions may have been swayed by the atmosphere. Koné himself echoed his manager’s view, saying he felt a push before the goal and believed the referee’s oversight was “a little unfair,” though he accepted that it was ultimately the official’s call.
