“You make Kylian Mbappe look like a dictator”: France coach Didier Deschamps after victory over Paraguay

Frenchman Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates. (AP/PTI) France coach Didier Deschamps has defended captain Kylian Mbappe following criticism of his management style, insisting the public perception of the star striker does not reflect who he really is in the national team set-up.Following France’s tense 1-0 win over Paraguay in the last 16 of the World Cup, Deschamps dismissed suggestions that Mbappe had become too authoritative since taking over the captaincy.“No, he hasn’t changed. You give him the impression that he’s a dictator. Kylian has an image for some people on the outside that doesn’t correspond to reality at all,” Deschamps told reporters after the match.France booked their place in the quarter-finals thanks to Mbappe’s second-half penalty in a fierce encounter at Lincoln Financial Field. Despite dominating possession, Les Bleus struggled to break down Paraguay’s disciplined defense in a game that saw no shots on goal from either side before half-time.The match was marked by several flashpoints, including a challenge on Mbappe that sparked a mass confrontation between the players. However, Deschamps said his team was prepared for Paraguay’s aggressive approach and handled the situation well.“I saw a lot of things,” said Deschamps.“I prepared the players. The players expected this match. I don’t want to criticize Paraguay. Every team plays the way they want. But there were some insults from the other bench that I could do without,” he added.“The most important thing is that there were no disagreements until the end of the game and that we (didn’t) get another card,” he said.France finally found the breakthrough in the 66th minute when Desire Doue won a penalty which Mbappe calmly converted. Paraguay pushed for a late equalizer but France held firm to book a quarter-final clash with Morocco.