Benjamin Pavard accused of causing World Cup tension after France star ‘had a falling out with Deschamps’
Benjamin Pavard has been accused of creating a ‘toxic’ atmosphere at the World Cup camp in France after falling out with head coach Didier Deschamps and making a series of ‘inappropriate’ comments about his teammates during their final loss against Argentina.
Pavard started France’s opener in Qatar for their 4–1 win over Australia, but after being replaced by Jules Kounde late in that win, he was unable to make another tournament appearance.
From that point on in Qatar, Deschamps stuck with Kounde as his first-choice right-back despite the Barcelona defender being a more natural centre-back, which assistant manager Guy Stephan insisted was a “sporting” decision. “.
Benjamin Pavard has been accused of creating a ‘toxic’ atmosphere at the World Cup camp in France
The 26-year-old is said to have quarreled with boss Didier Deschamps (right) in Qatar
The Bayern Munich star is said to have had a heated dispute with boss Didier Deschamps
French publication L’Equipe claimed that he received criticism from both Deschamps and his teammates after Australia’s victory, although veteran stars Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris expressed their support for the player.
But according to the French journalist Romain MolinaPavard went on to cause significant trouble in the France dressing room at the World Cup, with his teammates accusing him of leaking private information to the press.
The Bayern Munich star is first said to have fallen out with Deschamps, despite other members of the dressing room considering him one of their favorite players.
After being criticized by Deschamps and his coaching staff, Pavard refused to accept his words and responded with his own frustrations, sparking a heated dispute backstage.
However, it is understood that things came to a head during Sunday’s final against Argentina, with Deschamps having ‘big words’ with the player after he was heard making ‘inappropriate’ comments about his compatriots on the bench.
Pavard’s actions in Qatar were a huge disappointment to both the manager and his staff, who believe they have protected him for a number of years despite some average performances on the pitch.
Reports claim that the 26-year-old’s teammates were also enraged by his behavior and even accused him of leaking private details to the press due to his close relationship with certain journalists.
Pavard started France’s first World Cup match, but was unable to make another appearance.
Jules Kounde was preferred at right-back during Les Bleus’ run to the final against Argentina
Last year, French publication L’Equipe reported how Pavard had lost the confidence of his French colleagues on the pitch, with his defensive vulnerabilities causing concern in the dressing room.
Now it seems he has made enemies off the pitch as well, casting doubt on his future with the national team.
Pavard was one of the heroes of France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, starting six of their seven games in Russia.
He also started three of his four outings at Euro 2020, but Kounde was preferred at right-back in Qatar.
After dropping Pavard for their second World Cup match against Denmark, Deschamps said: “I made the decision not to play him. I won’t go into details.
Deschamps declined to go into detail about why he dropped Pavard after the victory in Australia.
“I have had several conversations with him. I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind. So he will ask me: is he physical, is he in his head?
‘The first match didn’t help, of course. That’s why I made a different decision.
However, the alleged fight between Pavard and Deschamps in Qatar is not the first time that France has lost its reputation at the World Cup.
In 2010, the country went through one of the darkest days in its sporting history when players revolted against manager Raymond Domenech in South Africa.
Members of the Les Bleus squad went on strike and refused to train in protest of the decision to send home Nicolás Anelka, who was suspended after a bitter row with Domenech during a group loss to Mexico.
France have encountered problems off the pitch at previous World Cups, and none was more scandalous than in 2010, when Raymond Domenech’s disgruntled players went on strike.
Patrice Evra also had to be retained after clashing with the France boss during a heated disagreement on the training ground.
In the end, Domenech’s team finished bottom of their group and were sent packing earlier than planned, marking a disastrous outing in the 2010 tournament.
France’s Euro 2020 campaign was also marred by off-pitch tensions between Kylian Mbappe and Giroud, with the PSG superstar furious following criticism from his strike partner over the serve he was receiving in attack.
The breakup of Mbappe and Giroud reportedly caused disharmony on the Les Bleus pitch, which came before they suffered a stunning penalty shootout by Switzerland.