“Should not start,” “So useless” - Fans slam ‘horrific’ display by France superstar in 1-0 win vs Austria at Euro 2024
Fans are disappointed in forward Ousmane Dembélé's performance in France's Euro 2024 opener against Austria on Monday (June 17). The game ended in a 1-0 win for Les Bleus at the Merkur Spiel Arena.
The only goal was a mistake from Austrian defender Maximilian Wöber, who netted an own goal from a cross by France captain Kylian Mbappe in the 38th minute.
Fans flooded social media with posts criticizing Dembélé's gameplay against Austria. He played for 71 minutes and had a passing accuracy of 68% (15/22), one out of five successful dribbles (20%), and won six out of 11 duels.
While some fans slammed Dembélé for his lack of contribution in the clash, others believed there were better players in the nation's squad to play in his position.
Here are some reactions on X:
One fan wrote:
"Dembele should not start ahead of Barcola or Coman at RW."
Another added:
"Dembele is so useless but i know he will always start no matter what."
"Been watching Dembele play football since 2016 We are in 2024 and the only thing that has improved is his weight and Height," chimed in another fan.
One account posted:
"I didn’t see one successful dribble from dembele all game."
Another said:
"Dembele’s weight of passing is horrific."
One user wrote:
"So inconsistent."
While another wrote:
"Coman is clear of Dembele he should be playing."
France will be playing against the Netherlands next at Red Bull Arena Leipzig on Friday (June 21).
Didier Deschamps on France's 1-0 win against Austria at Euro 2024
France national team head coach Didier Deschamps shared his opinion on his squad's performance in their Euro 2024 opener against Austria. The 55-year-old manager said (via Reuters):
"Happy with what the players did even if we missed opportunities to double the tally. It was not perfect but we were solid. We could have been more efficient offensively but it's good to start with a win. There's quality and talent but being solid and working together is also important. We're not going to be over-confident, but it's a good start."
Les Bleus have claimed the UEFA European Championship twice, in 1984 and 2000. Monday's Euro 2024 win marked their sixth consecutive victory in the opening match of a major tournament, which is also the longest run maintained by any European nation.