Didier Deschamps feels that the illness that had been running through the French camp before the World Cup final could have cost them after they were beaten on penalties by Argentina on Sunday night.
The epic game finished 2-2 after 90 minutes and 3-3 after extra-time before the South American side triumphed in the shootout.
What may sound like an even game did not seem like one for large periods as Argentina dominated the vast majority of the opening 90 minutes.
Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria put them 2-0 up in the first half and they appeared to be easing to a comfortable win before France won a penalty 80 minutes in which Kylian Mbappe scored.
The French superstar netted again a minute later and from there until the shootout the game was a fairly level contest, which it had not been before Mbappe first found the back of the net.
There had been numerous reports of France players falling ill in the days leading up to the final, with the likes of Dayot Upamecano, Adrien Rabiot, Kingsley Coman, Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate all under the weather due to an unidentified illness.
No player was ruled out of the final due to poor health, with Upamecano, Rabiot and Varane all starting against Argentina, but Deschamps feels the illness could have been hampering his side on Sunday.
‘The squad have been facing a tricky situation for a while and that could have affected them,’ he said. We just didn’t show the energy for an hour.’
Deschamps was not quite listing excuses, and widespread illness in the squad could be the explanation for France’s sluggish performance for most of the match.
On the performance of referee Szymon Marciniak, who gave Argentina one and France two penalties over the 120 minutes, Deschamps added: ‘I said before the match that Argentina had been lucky. I’m not saying they were helped. I just want to say congratulations.’
On the game which seemed set to be run of the mill, but because a classic, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said: ‘The match was completely insane.
‘We could and should have won it in 90 minutes but I wasn’t lucky enough. But now, I have the best feelings ever. We were fighters despite the goals we conceded. We kept on fighting.’
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