LLORIS HITS BACK

HUGO LLORIS believes France have developed into a “complete” team as the World Cup finalists hit back at Belgium’s jibes that they are an “anti-football” side.

Thibaut Courtois, the Belgium goalkeeper, and Eden Hazard, his compatriot and Chelsea team-mate, launched blistering attacks on France in the wake of their 1-0 semi-final defeat in St Petersburg on Tuesday. Didier Deschamps, the France coach, set up his team to play on the counter-attack, but Courtois said there was only one side trying to win and suggested it was fitting their goal came from a set-piece, with Samuel Umtiti heading home Antoine Griezmann’s -corner.

“France heads in a corner and does nothing more than defend,” Courtois was reported as telling Sporza. “I would have preferred to have lost in the quarterfinals to Brazil, at least that was a team that wanted to play football. (France) are just an anti-football team.”

Hazard offered a similarly damning assessment of France. Quoted by Het Nieuwsblad, Hazard said: “I prefer to lose with this Belgium than win with this France. But they do defend strongly and are very -efficient. We have not found their weak point. That little moment of magic needed was not there.”

Yet criticisms were brushed off by Lloris, who insisted they were showing their ability to win by any means.

“I think we are quite complete as a team,” the Spurs goalkeeper said. “We can play in different ways, in different styles. But the most important thing is that all the players are involved to help the team.” (© Daily Telegraph, London)