Patrick Vieira's stint as a World Cup pundit for ITV has come to an end, and he received an apology from presenter Mark Pougatch during the final broadcast. Vieira was on punditry duty as France suffered a 2-0 defeat to Spain at Dallas Stadium in the semi-final on Tuesday night.
Spain Secures Final Berth
A penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a second-half strike from Pedro Porro sealed victory for Spain, who will now face either England or Argentina in Sunday's final. France's quest for glory ended in disappointment as they were outplayed by a dominant Spanish side.
Pougatch's Apology
As ITV's coverage concluded, Pougatch apologised to Vieira, saying: "Sorry, Patrick, it has been great to have you with us for the World Cup, so you are not here this weekend, but it has been great to have you with us, so thanks very much for your contributions." Vieira responded: "Thank you, it was a pleasure."
Deschamps Questions Refereeing
France manager Didier Deschamps was visibly frustrated after the match, questioning FIFA's decision to appoint Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton for the semi-final. "There is obviously a lot of disappointment. The players are devastated because we had high ambitions," Deschamps said. "Although we have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a step below technically against a team that knew what they were doing. It’s primarily our fault. Then I ask a question, and I’m not going to answer it: 'Is the referee good enough to officiate a World Cup semi-final?' We’ve had a few of those situations, and I’m not going to answer them. And I’m not saying this because we lost today, but there have been certain situations… often unfavourable to us, too."
Rodri Also Unhappy
Spain captain Rodri also expressed dissatisfaction with Barton's performance, claiming that Lamine Yamal should have received more protection from the referee. "We’ve been dealing with this type of situation for three games now. We’re talking about 10 or 15 uncalled fouls," Rodri said. "And if we don’t call them, the defences keep doing the same thing. The permissiveness is obvious, especially today, but he had a great game."
