MOSCOW – Denmark coach Age Hareide's withering assessment of opponents France last month has added “salt, pepper and vinegar” to their World Cup match on Tuesday, his counterpart Didier Deschamps said.
Hareide, whose side need one point against already-qualified France to progress from Group C, told Danish newspaper daily Jyllands-Posten that he did not believe in the French side and wondered whether midfielder Paul Pogba thought only about his haircuts.
Asked whether that those comments had added spice to the game, Deschamps told reporters on Monday: “Salt, pepper, vinegar... whatever you wish.
“Anybody can say what they want, anybody can take responsibility in their own words. It’s not particularly pleasant,” he went on.
“My players know very well what the coach said, they can read and they can listen.”
France have six points from their opening two games and Denmark have four, three more than Australia who play eliminated Peru in the other match on Tuesday.
Coach Didier Deschamps' France has already qualified for the next round in Russia. Photo: Peter Powell/EPA
Deschamps said he did not believe that the tournament would be Pogba's last World Cup as the player himself suggested on Monday.
“I don’t think this will be his last World Cup, he’s 25 years old and in four years’ time he will be 29.”
He could not judge whether Pogba's attitude had changed during the course of the tournament.
“I always see the same Paul Pogba,” he said. “He is not suddenly going to change from being the ugly duckling to being someone very sincere in the space of 15 days.”
“He’s always like that, he’s had to go through some difficult periods. In my own experience of him, he has gained experience. I think he’s happy, he’s very motivated.”