The Blues are suspected of having knowingly lost against Iran during their last group match. This defeat assured them of obtaining a more lenient picture. “Whatever happens on September 27, I want to tell France that we are waiting for them with open arms. Even if we are the weakest team in their eyes”continued Miguel Rodrigo.
Let’s get past the clichés: futsal is not football. France (10th) has a lower FIFA ranking than Iran (4th). In other words, if we refer to this ranking, the Blues were not favorites. However, it is true that certain images of the meeting are challenging. We see the French players refusing the game or trying unusual things on a free kick. As well as taking a goal where the Iranian striker has plenty of time to wander around and score a goal for the goalkeeper who doesn’t do much to save his team.
If we still take this ranking as an example, the Blues will not have to deal with Morocco (6th in the world), one of the favorites in the competition. Above all, they will avoid Spain or Brazil, two scarecrows. While Thailand is actually weaker on paper by being ninth. A true legend of the discipline, the Brazilian Falcao also criticized the behavior of the actors. “Guys were looking at the clock, wasting time, shooting and pretending they made a mistake.”he says in a video. With one hope in mind: the exclusion of the two nations!
Complaints have been filed
Obviously, this potential unsporting behavior is not at all to the taste of other nations. Thus, Libya, eliminated in the group stage, and Paraguay, possible opponent of the Blues in the quarterfinals, lodged a complaint with FIFA for unsporting conduct. They demanded the outright elimination of both teams. The authority explained that it had taken “knowledge of complaints filed”but that she would not “no further comments will be made while this process is ongoing”.
In France, we are convinced that France will play its match well this Friday. As announced by our colleagues from Ouest-France. “According to our information, the complaints of Libya and Paraguay to FIFA after the match between France and Iran at the Futsal World Cup will not be successful”announced the media.
France and Iran counterattack
This frontal attack from other nations caused a lot of noise in the small world of futsal. France and Iran do not want to stand idly by in the face of such accusations. Iran has filed a defamation suit against Thailand coach Miguel Rodrigo.
On the Blues side, Raphaël Raynaud, the coach, spoke and tried to defend his team’s tactics. “I understand the surprise and the frustration”he said on the website of the French Football Federation. “It was up to the Iranians to play the game, they are fourth in the world. […] I assume the choice of a more wait-and-see strategy, and that we first have the idea of preparing for the future.”
Same story from the captain, Kévin Ramirez, who recognized for the Parisian that the players were “aware of not having offered the most beautiful spectacle”. Finally, Raphaël Raynaud did not hide when discussing the different prints. “This table is more open for us, but the main objective was not to take any boxes and get injured.”
At a press conference, Raphaël Reynaud was much more offensive towards his counterpart Miguel Rodrigo. “What part of this controversy is misinformation and destabilization?”he asked himself. “I can’t talk too much about it except that we know the Spanish coach of Thailand well. He is very often in controversy. He has already done so by criticizing the installations in Uzbekistan and putting the organizers in a delicate situation.”
Before throwing a final spade: “I have immense respect for Thailand and for Thai futsal which did not wait for this coach to be successful.” As said at the start of the article, the match between France and Thailand at 2:30 p.m. will be hot as embers.
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