The head coach of the French team Didier Deschamps has defended the player Kylian Mbappe following the criticism of his leadership, insisting that the star team’s opinion does not reflect who is inside the establishment of the national team.Speaking after France’s 1-0 win over Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, Deschamps rejected suggestions that Mbappe had become over-represented since taking over the captaincy.“No, he has not changed. You make him a dictator. Kylian has an image of some people outside that does not correspond to reality,” Deschamps told reporters after the game.France secured their place in the quarter-finals thanks to Mbappe’s second-half penalty in a tense contest at Lincoln Financial Field. Despite having plenty of weapons, Les Bleus struggled to break down Paraguay’s respectable defense in a game that saw neither side fire on target before the end of the half.The game was marked by a number of flashpoints, including a challenge on Mbappe that led to heated arguments between the players. However, Deschamps said his team was prepared for Paraguay’s brutal approach and handled the situation well.“I’ve seen a lot of things,” said Deschamps.“I have prepared the players. The players are looking forward to the game. I don’t want to criticize Paraguay. Each team plays the way they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I wouldn’t have been without,” he said.“The most important thing is that by the end of the game, there was no disagreement and that (we did not receive) another card,” he said.France finally took the lead in the 66th minute when Desire Doue won a penalty, which Mbappe calmly converted. Paraguay pushed for a late goal, but France held on to set up a final against Morocco.
