Deschamps defends Letexier and backs Argentine referees ahead of France-Morocco

On the eve of the France-Morocco quarter-final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Didier Deschamps addressed the media on Wednesday to dismiss any controversy surrounding the appointment of an entirely Argentine refereeing team for Thursday evening’s match.

The question has been on the minds of French supporters since François Letexier’s refereeing of Argentina’s victory over Egypt (3-2) drew heavy criticism. For this quarter-final, it will be Mr. Tello and four of his Argentine compatriots who will officiate. A coincidence that France’s head coach refuses to turn into a cause for concern.

“You can question it but I operate on the principle that there are appointments and we can’t do anything about it. I make sure to trust the referees,” he said. Deschamps went even further by quietly defending Letexier: “I hope Mr. Tello and his assistants we’ll have tomorrow will be as good as Mr. Letexier and his assistants who refereed another match. Obviously, there are always decisions that can be open to discussion. It all depends on which side you’re on. But for me, my opponent is Morocco. I’m not going to consider the referee as an opponent, quite the opposite.”

On the sporting front, France are targeting a third consecutive World Cup semi-final, which would be a first in French football history. Morocco, an opponent already faced in 2022, arrive in confident form following their historic run in the previous edition.

One shadow hangs over France’s team composition: the fitness of Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has a thigh injury. “I don’t have all the information yet, Aurélien is better but I left early this morning. Only he needs to be assessed but he’s improving. He may participate in training today. The others are all available,” Deschamps said, leaving doubt over whether the midfielder will start.

Kick-off for France-Morocco is scheduled for Thursday at 22:00 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.