Mike Maignan has reportedly berated his France teammates after they suffered a defeat against Italy on Friday.
Les Bleus got off to a perfect start at the Parc des Princes, with Bradley Barcola putting the hosts ahead in the first minute.
Federico Dimarco equalised for Italy before half-time in the Nations League clash before second-half goals from Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori condemned the hosts to a humiliating defeat.
According to a report from the French media The teamMaignan launched into a two-minute speech inside the dressing room, criticising his team’s commitment and attitude.
The AC Milan goalkeeper is also reported to have said that although only two Italian players would make the French starting XI, they deserved to win that night because they wanted it more.
Mike Maignan reportedly berated his French teammates after their defeat to Italy
The result marked the first time since 1954 that France had been beaten by the Azzurri on home soil.
Maignan’s teammates are said to have been stunned into silence after being criticised for his effort, with neither captain Kylian Mbappé nor his deputy Antoine Griezmann addressing the team afterwards.
The 29-year-old later refused to reveal exactly what had happened in the dressing room but insisted the team could move on after the incident.
“It’s a defeat that hurts,” admitted Maignan.
‘It was a bad day, we came up against a great team that defended well. We can’t close every game with a clean sheet. I took it badly, the group took it badly.
“We have to recover immediately. Whatever is said in the locker room stays between us. We will talk about it tomorrow.”
“There’s no need to worry. When we lose a game, it’s not the end of the world. We all have a role to play on the pitch.
Les Bleus captain Kylian Mbappé was stunned into silence by Maignan’s outburst
“We know we have to do better, the French team has to win. We will not make excuses, we will question ourselves and move forward.”
Didier Deschamps’ side will be looking to bounce back from defeat when they host Belgium on Monday night.
