The coach of the French national team, Didier Deschamps, spoke out about the appointment of Argentine referee Facundo Tello for the crucial quarter-final match of the 2026 World Cup. The clash between France and Morocco will take place in Boston and will determine one of the spots among the four best teams in the tournament.
The presence of the Bahian referee at the helm of the match generated comments in the French camp, but the coach made his stance clear. Deschamps stated that he does not see the referee as a problem and that his focus is solely on the African opponent.
"You can ask whatever questions you want. I start from the premise that the appointments have already been made and we cannot do anything about it. So my job is to trust the referees," the French coach indicated at the press conference.
Confidence in the officiating team
Deschamps referred to a recent precedent where another French referee, Francois Letexier, officiated a match involving Argentina. The French coach expressed his hope that Tello and his assistants perform at the level seen in that match.
