Les Bleus pledge to pull it together

Coach, players admit they did not play as a team

FRANCE coach Laurent Blanc has admitted there was a “heated” dressing-room row between his players following their limp 2-0 defeat by Sweden in Kiev on Tuesday.

Olivier Giroud, who will join Arsenal after Euro 2012, was quoted describing a “shouting match” immediately after the game and, during a press conference in Donetsk on Wednesday, Blanc made no attempt to dispute that version of events.

France’s 2010 Fifa World Cup campaign famously ended in disgrace amid internal splits and, while Blanc played down the significance of Tuesday’s incident, it is threatening to overshadow preparations for tomorrow’s quarterfinal against Spain.

“When there’s a victory, you accept things more and you’re happier,” said Blanc. “When you’ve lost, you’re more hot-blooded. It got heated but we all cooled down after a good shower.

“It kicked off a bit because all the players felt that everyone hadn’t given everything.

“I don’t know if it’s because we’ve got a fairly young squad. When you feel something, you have to say it. It shows there’s a reaction, and a bit of electricity. I hope there will be some against Spain, but in the right sense.”

Florent Malouda described France’s performance as “shocking” but, after a 23-game unbeaten run, there is still a belief that they can upset Spain.

“I don’t think Spain are favourites, the Germans have impressed me the most,” said France midfielder Samir Nasri. “Spain and Italy are both hard to play against.

“Spain like to play football, but France has always done well against the Spanish in a major tournament. We might get more room against the Spanish.”

Yohan Cabaye, however, stressed that there would need to be a drastic improvement against Spain. “We have always played as a team which is why we went 23 games unbeaten, but we didn’t against Sweden,” he said.

“It was a mistake. Our mentality wasn’t right. I hope we learn. Spain are the best team in the world so we are going to have to play like it is the final. If we play like we did against Sweden we haven’t got any chance of beating them.”

Meanwhile, Spain might have won Group C to secure a Euro 2012 quarterfinal, but the European champions are under siege.

Accused in the Spanish media of failing to live up to their star billing, coach Vicente del Bosque is under pressure to change his approach.

Interrogated for facing Italy without a recognised forward and over his faith in Fernando Torres, Del Bosque has complained of Spain “not appreciating what we have”.

But his squad remain firmly behind the former Real Madrid coach. — ©The Daily Telegraph