After Croatia halted France's terrible Nations League title defense, Didier Deschamps ordered his players to "clean their heads."
Zlatko Dalic's team won 1-0 at the Stade de France on Monday, with Luka Modric's fifth-minute penalty giving Croatia a measure of retribution for their 2018 World Cup final defeat.
As a result of the loss, France will no longer be able to finish first in Group A1, preventing them from qualifying for the Nations League finals and maintaining their title.
France will not play again until September, when their primary goal will be to escape relegation from the Nations League's top tier.
They have a lot of work to do on that front, since they are now bottom of the group after four games, with only two draws and a couple of defeats.
Deschamps appeared to blame weariness for France's troubles, but he also acknowledged that most other countries' players would have been in a similar physical state.
Deschamps, speaking to TF1 at full-time, said: "In terms of outcomes, June was a particularly challenging month.
"We lacked the energy and strength to compete with teams that had more. We didn't fare much better. Above all, it was the absence of freshness.
"With these outcomes, there are always lessons to be learned. Each match is jam-packed with learning opportunities.
"We lost players from one encounter to the next because of the rapid succession of contests. Other nations were undoubtedly affected [by weariness].
"[The players] will need to clear their brains before returning to their club and beginning the new season."
The defeat was France's first since November 2020, when they failed to score in a match (23 games).
On Tuesday, Ukraine will face the Republic of Ireland in Lodz in the first of two matches in Poland.
Ukraine has responded admirably to missing out on a World Cup spot to Wales by defeating Ireland 1-0 and Armenia 3-0, and another win appears to be on the cards today.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0