Didier Deschamps told his players to "clear their heads" after Croatia ended France's dreadful Nations League championship defense.
On Monday, Zlatko Dalic's team won 1-0 at the Stade de France, with Luka Modric's fifth-minute penalty providing some payback for Croatia's loss in the 2018 World Cup final.
France will no longer be able to finish first in Group A1 as a result of the loss, barring them from qualifying for the Nations League finals and retaining their title.
France will not play again until September, when their main goal will be to avoid relegation from the top flight of the Nations League.
They have a lot of work to do on that front, since they are now in last place in the group after four games, with only two draws and a couple of losses.
Deschamps seemed to blame fatigue for France's problems, but he also admitted that most other teams' players would have been in a similar physical state.
In a full-time interview with TF1, Deschamps said: "June was a particularly difficult month in terms of results.
"We lacked the energy and strength to battle against stronger squads. We didn't have a lot of luck. It was, above all, the lack of freshness.
"There are always lessons to be gained from these outcomes. Each match is jam-packed with opportunities to learn.
"Because of the rapid succession of contests, we lost players from one confrontation to the next. Other countries were obviously impacted [by fatigue].
"Before returning to their club and starting the new season, [the players] will need to clear their heads.
France's first defeat since November 2020, when they went scoreless in a match (23 games).
Ukraine will play the Republic of Ireland in the first of two matches in Poland on Tuesday in Lodz.
Ukraine has responded excellently to missing out on a World Cup spot to Wales by defeating Ireland 1-0 and Armenia 3-0, and another victory looks certain today.
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