Didier Deschamps criticises referee after France's World Cup defeat to Spain

Didier Deschamps' tenure as France manager concluded in disappointment against Spain, leaving him frustrated with Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton.

A 2-0 defeat at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday meant there was no fairytale conclusion to the World Cup for Deschamps. His team, Les Bleus, were outplayed by La Roja, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal (22' P) and Pedro Porro (58') sealing their fate.

Deschamps departs from his managerial role on a bittersweet note, as Zinedine Zidane is set to take over as the new coach. The 57-year-old has expressed his dissatisfaction with Barton and questioned the decision to appoint him as referee for such a significant match.

'Good Enough?' - Deschamps Takes Swipe at Referee

Having been in charge of France since the summer of 2012, Deschamps led his nation to victory in the 2018 World Cup. He aimed to conclude his time as manager as a world champion but will now aim for a potential third-place finish.

Following the semi-final, Deschamps voiced his concerns regarding several officiating decisions. He remarked (via L'Equipe): "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?' And I'm not saying this because we lost today but there were certain situations... Often unfavorable to us as well."

Deschamps did concede that his team were "a bit below par and less dangerous offensively." While they were favourites going into the match, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise were notably not at their best.

The outgoing France manager stated that although it "hurts", he and his squad "have to accept it." He is now looking ahead to the third-place match, which will see them face either Argentina or England, who play in the other semi-final tomorrow night.

While Deschamps did not specify which decisions he believed were against France, there were significant calls made. Spain received a penalty after Lucas Digne unintentionally kicked Lamine Yamal.

Barton Unworthy of World Cup Semi-Final?

Barton had officiated three matches at the World Cup prior to the semi-final between France and Spain. His last match saw him referee Switzerland's Round of 16 penalty shootout victory over Colombia.

The 35-year-old made headlines as the first referee to dismiss a player for covering their mouth while speaking to an opponent, sending off Miguel Almiron during Paraguay's 1-0 win over Turkiye in the group stages.

The line he delivered when issuing the red card after VAR review has gone viral. He stated, "After review, number 10, Paraguay, cover his mouth, decision is red card."

Despite Barton's reputation for strict discipline, there were no sendings off in France's loss to Spain. This was his second appearance at a World Cup, having previously officiated at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Source: GiveMeSport