Loss to Turkey ‘a slap in the face’, says France boss Didier Deschamps, Latest Football News - The New Paper
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Loss to Turkey ‘a slap in the face’, says France boss Didier Deschamps

World champions France slumped to a 2-0 loss to hosts Turkey in Euro 2020 qualifying yesterday morning (Singapore time), amid a red-hot atmosphere in Konya.

Kaan Ayhan headed Turkey ahead on the half-hour mark and Cengiz Under fired in a second before half-time to secure a first-ever win over France, sending them top of Group H.

Didier Deschamps fielded nine of the players that started last year's World Cup final but France struggled to create chances, while Hugo Lloris denied Turkey on several occasions, reported AFP.

"That was a slap in the face for us and there's not a lot I can say," Deschamps told French broadcaster TF1.

"We have a different challenge on (against Andorra) Tuesday and I have to say well done to Turkey. We need to get back to basics.

"When you play like that on a collective level, there is nothing positive you can take from the game.

"We didn't put in the match we needed to against a team that played their game."

Meanwhile, striker Antoine Griezmann told L'Equipe: "We don't understand it... We basically didn't have a single chance and shot on goal.

"We messed up with basic elements of technique, we were not good."

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