Deschamps salutes his ‘warriors’ – but Lovren derides win

Coach joins elite group to win as a player too Croatian says French ‘did not play football’

Didier Deschamps last night proclaimed France’s second World Cup triumph “just as beautiful” as their first after leading them to glory again 20 years on.

Deschamps became only the third man to win football’s biggest prize as both player and manager following yesterday’s dramatic win over Croatia in Moscow.

The 49-year-old was drenched with beer and water by his jubilant players after they invaded his postmatch press conference at the Luzhniki Stadium before singing “Didier Deschamps”, hugging him and shouting “Vive la France”.

Deschamps joked afterwards: “They are young and they are happy. They are crazy.”

The man who lifted the World Cup as captain in the Stade de France two decades earlier added: “I don’t want to talk about me, but what I remember is my own history and that is linked to these players’ adventure.

“I had the privilege to live through this 20 years ago, and in France, but what the players have just done is just as beautiful; just as powerful. I have a son who is 22 now. When we were champions he was too young to understand. His generation now have this happiness to live through.”

France’s victory was not hailed by all, with Croatia defender Dejan Lovren insisting his side were the moral winners.

“France didn’t play football,” he said. “They waited for their chance and they scored. They had their one tactic and you have to respect it. They played every game of the tournament like that.

“I’m disappointed because we lost the game but played much better football then them. I am proud of what we achieved, second in the world. I’m proud of everyone and for the country.”

France were too busy celebrating to pay too much heed to Lovren’s words. Yesterday’s victory was all the more sweet for them as it came two years after their shock defeat to Portugal in the final of their own European Championship.

“Two years ago, it was so painful to let pass this opportunity of being European champions,” Deschamps (below) said. “But maybe, if we had been European champions then, we would not have been world champions today.”

Hailing his players as “warriors”, he said: “The players knew why they were there. They had to get that star, that shining star, which is wonderful.”

Man-of-the-match Antoine Griezmann said: “We did something incredible. We marked history and we are going to enjoy it. Tonight, we are going to see our families. We are going to party. And tomorrow, we’ll be in France, the same. We are going to party with all the French people.”

Kylian Mbappe, who became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final, said: “The road was long but it was worth it. We are proud to make the French happy. We had this role to help them forget all their problems.”

Croatia were left cursing their luck, having twice fallen behind to a freak goal and controversial penalty despite dominating yesterday’s match for almost an hour.

The opener went down as the first own goal ever scored in a World Cup final, before the second came from the penalty spot after the first intervention of video technology in football’s biggest game.

Zlatko Dalic, the Croatia manager, said of the handball decision: “I never comment on refereeing, but you don’t give a penalty like that in a World Cup final.”

Captain Luka Modric, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, said: “We have no regrets because we were the better team for much of the game. Unfortunately, some clumsy goals swung it their way.

“You know that, despite the defeat, you’ve achieved something big. But it’s hard when you come so close and fall short.”