Paraguay coach Alfaro denies staff insulted Deschamps over late mother after ill-tempered France defeat

Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro has firmly denied accusations that members of his staff directed insults at France manager Didier Deschamps — including references to his late mother — during a fractious World Cup last-16 tie that France won through a Kylian Mbappé penalty.

Alfaro was visibly angered when the claims were put to him after the match. “No, absolutely not. You can’t sink that low in football. Never,” he said. “I respect him enormously and admire him greatly. Yes, there were some disputes, particularly regarding VAR — some were calling for a penalty, others weren’t. But, honestly, I’ve never heard that kind of insult. And knowing my staff, I’m convinced that none of them would behave that way.”

Deschamps, however, did not hold back in his own post-match press conference, confirming that the France bench had been subjected to abuse during the contest. “I could have done without the insults on the bench,” the France manager said. “Especially some of them.” He stopped short of elaborating on the specific nature of the remarks.

Mbappé’s second-half spot-kick proved the decisive moment in an ill-tempered encounter, with Paraguay’s physical approach drawing repeated flashpoints throughout. The result sends France into the World Cup quarter-finals, while Paraguay’s tournament is over.

The conflicting accounts from both dugouts leave the precise details of what was said unresolved, though the broader atmosphere of the match — described by observers as full-blooded and at times hostile — was not in dispute. Whether any formal complaint or disciplinary process follows remains to be seen.