An ill-tempered World Cup last-16 match between France and Paraguay has erupted into a storm, with France manager Didier Deschamps alleging he was insulted by the Paraguayan bench, reportedly over the recent death of his mother. FIFA is being urged to take action over the performance of referee Ilgiz Tantashev, who failed to book any Paraguay players despite 12 fouls.
Deschamps Faces Insults from Paraguayan Bench
France progressed to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory in Philadelphia, courtesy of a second-half penalty from Kylian Mbappe. However, the match was marred by aggressive tackles and tensions. Deschamps admitted after the game: "I'm not going to criticise Paraguay—every team plays as best it can—but I could have done without the insults. Especially some of them." French media claimed the insults referenced the death of his mother, whom he buried last week after flying home from the World Cup.
Paraguay Coach Denies Allegations
Paraguay boss Gustavo Alfaro vehemently denied the accusations. "No, absolutely not. You can't sink that low in football. Never... I've never heard that kind of insult. And knowing my staff, I'm convinced that none of them would behave that way," he said. "Football isn't war. I'm not going to apologise for something that, to my knowledge, didn't happen. However, I am completely opposed to this kind of behaviour. If I had heard such remarks, I would have reacted immediately myself. It's unacceptable."
Referee Performance Under Fire
Fans have urged FIFA to act after referee Ilgiz Tantashev failed to book a single Paraguay player. BBC pundits Joe Hart and Thomas Hitzlsperger branded Paraguay a "disgrace" after they committed 12 fouls. French newspaper L'Equipe gave Tantashev a 1/10 rating, claiming he "completely botched the game" while issuing three yellow cards to French players. Fans labelled him "incompetent" and called for his suspension.
Next Match for France
Deschamps' side will face Morocco in a quarter-final clash in Boston on Thursday. Spain are widely tipped to meet them in the semi-finals if they advance.
