Didier Deschamps conducted a fresh dressing room rant after slamming Jules Kounde for wearing a chain in France's 3-1 win over Poland on Sunday.
The Barcelona defender wore the gold chain for the first 40 minutes of their last-16 tie against the Poles, despite players being banned from wearing jewellery on the pitch. It was soon picked up by the referee, who told Kounde to removed the chain and give it to a member of the French coaching staff.
After the game, Deschamps publicly criticised Kounde for wearing the accessory and said that he was "lucky" to get away with not picking up a punishment for his actions. The 24-year-old ran the risk of getting a yellow card, but the referee decided to be lenient and give nothing to Kounde, who continued on with the game.
However, according to L'Equipe, via Get French Football News, Deschamps was not happy following the full-time whistle and took out his anger on Kounde. It is understood the centre-back also wears the chain in training, which is allowed, but Deschamps was furious when he found out Kounde had it on while playing.
Another booking for Kounde would've meant he missed the quarter-final tie against England on Saturday, having already been cautioned at the tournament. This could've been a major blow for Deschamps given Kounde's defensive form at the competition, with the player starting on the right side of a back four.
Despite his good form, Deschamps felt he had to slam Kounde after the game in his press conference. Kounde played 92 minutes of France's win over Poland before being taken off in injury-time.
"I even told him – 'You're lucky you’re not in front of me, or else…' The referee had told us that as soon as there was a stoppage in play… players are not allowed to wear a bracelet or a necklace. They're not going to start wearing watches or sunglasses either. It’s not allowed. I thought he was taking it off but apparently that wasn't the case, it's our fault."
Les Bleus have been preparing for their all-important clash with England this week, Kylian Mbappe returning to training after missing Tuesday's session. He is arguably the man to stop in that France side at the moment, having scored the most goals at the World Cup so far (5).
Kyle Walker claimed on Wednesday that would not let the striker stand in the way of his World Cup ambitions, with England looking to replicate at least their semi-final finish in 2018. However, Youssouf Fofana hit back at Walker and admitted he is confident Mbappe will produce the goods on Saturday.
"If he knows how to stop Kylian, good for him," Fofana told a news conference on Thursday. "But 19 other teams in Ligue 1, and others in the Champions League, have been waiting for the solution. The truth will come from the pitch. We have full confidence in Kylian.
"Kylian does not read the papers, sorry for you! He doesn't read what you write, he focuses on his game. He is focused on what the team has to do and what he has to do. I feel he is very calm and determined."
