The French coach criticized: Was the referee qualified to officiate a semifinal? Spain's constant fouls and the penalty decision were controversial.

In the first World Cup semifinal held on July 15th Beijing time, hot favorites France lost 0-2 to Spain, missing out on a third consecutive final appearance. After the match, 57-year-old French coach Didier Deschamps attributed the defeat to the referee, Salvadoran Ivan Barton.

Deschamps questioned: "If I say anything today, it will be seen as complaining, since we lost. Let me ask everyone a question: Was the referee qualified to officiate a World Cup semifinal? That's not for me to answer; it's for you to judge.I won't give an answer. The fourth and fifth officials next to me are very competent, but unfortunately the referee did not listen to their advice."

In this match, Ivan Barton awarded a penalty to Spain in the 20th minute, putting France on the defensive. Deschamps was very unhappy about this, saying: "Spain took the lead through a controversial penalty decision. At the same time, they kept committing systematic fouls. There were many small fouls, and the game became fragmented.Unfortunately, we knew in advance what to expect, and we had to do more."

"It's not just about the penalty, but a lot of things piling up, and not only the referee's fault. The referee factor was an extra element, just like other moments we've encountered in other games, which were more or less complicated to handle. I have no bias against tonight's referee, but please think about this question and give your answer."

After failing to win the World Cup, Deschamps will inevitably leave his position as French coach with regret. The third-place match in this World Cup will also be his last game in charge of the French team.