France goalkeeper Mike Maignan launched into a furious dressing room tirade as he lambasted his team-mates after their 3-1 loss to Italy on Friday.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
France lost 3-1 at home to ItalyMaignan went on furious rantCaptain Mbappe stayed silentWHAT HAPPENED?
France suffered a humiliating defeat at the Parc des Princes despite taking the lead in the first minute through Bradley Barcola. Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori all scored as the visitors turned the game around in the opening game of the new Nations League campaign.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Maignan was outraged by his team's performance and, according to he screamed at the rest of the squad back in the dressing room, criticising the lack of desire and aggression they showed compared to the visitors. The report adds that captain Kylian Mbappe and vice-captain Antoine Griezmann did not speak up after Maignan's rant as the squad sat in silence.
WHAT MAIGNAN SAID
Afterwards, Maignan refused to discuss the dressing room tirade with reporters, saying: "What is said in the locker room stays between us."
He added: "We came up against a big team that defended well together. We have to move on. We can't play every match with clean sheets. I'm having a hard time with it, the group is having a hard time with it. We'll discuss it [on Saturday]. There's no need to worry. When you lose a match, it's not the end of the world. We all have a role to play on the pitch. We know we have to do better, this French team has to win. We're not going to make excuses, we're going to question ourselves and move forward."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?
Didier Deschamps' team will attempt to bounce back from the upset when they come up against Belgium in their next match on September 9.