France coach Didier Deschamps was livid with his side’s 0-0 draw at home on Thursday against Israel in the UEFA Nations League, admitting his team should have performed better.
The goalless affair helped France to secure second place in Group A2, amassing 10 points from five games.
“I can’t be satisfied with what we produced. We should have won. We’re capable of doing better,” Deschamps said to reporters after the match.
“We could have done more against an opponent that was very compact and wasted a lot of time. We had the chances to win, but we weren’t efficient enough.
“There was much more energy in the second half, but we still couldn’t score.”
France will battle Italy at the San Siro in Milan on Sunday in the next Nations League clash, with Deschamps uncertain of his starters.
“I don’t know. I need to take stock. Honestly, I can’t answer that right now. There will definitely be some changes,” he added.
“I’ll wait until the final training session on Saturday. Playing three days later is never easy, and there’s fatigue, which is normal and not an excuse, but the players’ bodies are under strain.”
Israel gaffer Ran Ben Shimon was satisfied with getting a first point after five matches.
“It’s an exceptional result, a first point, a first match without conceding a goal. We had an incredible battle and moments. I’m very proud of this result.
“The goal was to move forward, not necessarily to take points, but to build and show that we could believe in ourselves,” he said.
The match was played in front of a record-low crowd for Les Bleus at the Stade de France in a match overshadowed by frictions around the Gaza war.
“We were focused and showed a team that was determined to bring results for its country, and we want to thank the security services who protected us,” Shimon said.
