The aggressive and at times overly robust approach adopted by the Colombian team in their friendly match against the vice-world champions drew strong disapproval from France coach Didier Deschamps.
Following the French national team’s 3-1 win on Sunday evening, Didier Deschamps publicly criticized Colombia for their rough style of play. A particularly reckless tackle on Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise sparked significant anger from the coach.
In added time, with France already leading 3-1 in Washington, Olise was brought down in a challenge. He was fortunate to escape without serious injury. Speaking to TF1, Deschamps expressed his frustration: «I told the fourth official that this isn’t American Football. There are no tackles like that here! Thankfully, there were no serious repercussions.»
The coach, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018, further elaborated on the incident involving Olise: «If he hadn’t managed to jump, he could have broken his leg. This is just a friendly match. While a certain level of aggression is acceptable, that went far beyond the line.» He acknowledged that «South American teams often play this way» and that the absence of VAR «certainly helps them a little,» but reiterated: «Fortunately, Olise jumped clear, otherwise he’d be missing a leg right now.»
France Secures Friendly Win Against Colombia
Following their recent triumph over five-time world champions Brazil, France secured their second consecutive friendly victory on US soil, prevailing with a 3-1 scoreline. Desire Doue of PSG marked the occasion by scoring his first two goals for the French national team, while Marcus Thuram ended a two-and-a-half-year scoring drought for Les Bleus with a decisive header that sealed the third goal.
Deschamps had made several changes to his lineup compared to the clash with the Seleção, with players like Olise and captain Kylian Mbappé starting on the bench. Citing the exceptionally physical nature of the game, Deschamps explained his decision not to make further substitutions: «I chose not to bring on certain players because they either couldn’t play, or there was too much risk involved. We are currently in the critical final stages of the club season and the Champions League, which are crucial periods for their respective clubs.»
Michael Olise’s Career Journey:
| Club | Period |
| FC Reading | 2017 — 2021 |
| Crystal Palace | 2021 — 2024 |
| FC Bayern | 2024 — present |