Deschamps: We’ll make Danes pay for insults

DIDIER DESCHAMPS and France will not be doing Denmark any favours in today’s Group C decider with stinging pretournament insults at the forefront of their minds. Weeks after Denmark manager Age Hareide offered a scathing assessment of Deschamps’ side, the countries square off at the Luzhniki Stadium with the Danes still needing a point to secure a place in the last 16. Hareide will hope his barbs don’t come back to bite him. The veteran manager labelled France ‘nothing special… they don’t have a leader’ and lampooned Paul Pogba, in particular, saying, ‘Good grief, does he only think about his haircuts?’ Asked yesterday whether the comments would add spice to the allEuropean affair, Deschamps was visibly irked. ‘Salt, pepper, vinegar — call it whatever you wish,’ said the 1998 World Cupwinning captain. ‘It’s not particularly pleasant. My players know very well what the coach said. They can read, they can listen.’ With the Danes needing a point to see off the threat of third-placed Australia, who play Peru in Sochi, the prospect of the draw that would suit all parties was floated. Deschamps shut it down immediately. ‘No, we are not going to give them a helping hand,’ he said. ‘The aim is to be first in the group. I will never say to my team that we’ll play for a draw. ‘A draw may favour both teams but I am not here to talk about the Danes.’