France manager Didier Deschamps has rejected a request from several players to have a free evening ahead of Saturday's World Cup bronze medal final against England in Miami. According to French newspaper L'Equipe, some players sought a night out on Thursday to clear their heads after the disappointment of their semi-final defeat to Spain. Others attempted to negotiate a midnight curfew, but Deschamps turned down both proposals, determined to avoid ending the tournament with back-to-back losses.
Deschamps' Final Match in Charge
The match against England marks Deschamps' last game as France head coach before Zinedine Zidane takes over. Despite the bronze medal game being seen as a consolation, Deschamps is taking it seriously. Some France staff members are reportedly sceptical about dismissive attitudes within the England camp regarding the fixture.
Speaking after the 2-1 semi-final loss to Spain, Deschamps said: "The disappointment is commensurate with our ambitions, even if we also have to be factual, we have to accept it, there's no other choice. But we came up against a very good Spanish team who raised their game. Was it them, or were we simply a little below par? We didn't achieve the result we wanted, the result we expected, the result we aimed for."
He added: "We have this duty towards ourselves, towards what this jersey represents, towards all the people who are behind us and who have been so excited. There are obviously many disappointed people, but there is a match. It's not a friendly match. Okay, it's not going to change their lives, but all the players must have this duty."
England's Perspective
England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that neither team wants to play the bronze medal match, but emphasised a professional approach. "None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match. They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that's how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France but we will do it with professionalism," Tuchel said.
England suffered a late heartbreak against Argentina in their semi-final, while France were brushed aside by Spain. The two teams last met in a World Cup knockout stage in the 2022 quarter-finals, where France won 2-1. Saturday's game will be the third-place playoff, a fixture that both managers have described as difficult to motivate for but necessary to conclude the tournament.
