Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann ‘left SILENT after being chastised by Mike Maignan in post-match rant’ following France’s 3-1 defeat to Italy
Mike Maignan is said to have taken a swipe at his French teammates after they lost to Italy on Friday.
Les Bleus started the match at the Parc des Princes in excellent form, with Bradley Barcola putting the home side ahead in the opening minute.
Federico Dimarco levelled for Italy before half-time in their Nations League clash, but second-half goals from Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori ensured a humiliating defeat for the home side.
According to a report from a French news agency The teamMaignan gave a two-minute speech in the dressing room, criticising his team’s dedication and attitude.
The AC Milan goalkeeper is also reported to have said that there would only be two Italian players in the French starting line-up, but that they deserved to win because they wanted more of them.
Mike Maignan allegedly criticised his French teammates after their defeat to Italy
The result was the first time since 1954 that France had been defeated on home soil by the Azzurri
After their strike, Maignan’s teammates were so stunned that they fell silent. Neither captain Kylian Mbappé nor his deputy Antoine Griezmann addressed the team.
The 29-year-old later refused to say exactly what happened in the locker room, but he did stress that the team could put the incident behind them.
“It’s a defeat that hurts,” Maignan admitted.
“It was a bad day, we came up against a great team that defended well. We can’t end every game with an unbeaten goal. I took it badly, the group took it badly.
“We have to recover immediately. What is said in the dressing room stays between us. We will discuss it tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to worry. If we lose a game, it’s not the end of the world. We all have a role to play on the pitch.
Les Bleus captain Kylian Mbappe was reportedly stunned into silence by Maignan’s outburst
“We know we have to do better, the French team has to win. We will not look for excuses, we will question ourselves and move forward.”
Didier Deschamps’ team will be looking to bounce back from their defeat when they host Belgium on Monday evening.