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France fans were disappointed with the inclusion of defender Clement Lenglet and midfielder Adrien Rabiot in their starting line-up against Spain in the semi-final of the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
Lenglet joined Barcelona in 2018 for a reported €35.9 million fee after a stellar debut season in LaLiga with Sevilla. However, due to his inconsistent performances, he was sent out on a string of loans since the 2022-23 campaign.
After featuring for Premier League Tottenham and Aston Villa, he spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Atletico Madrid. He enjoyed a solid campaign, making 34 appearances and helping Los Rojiblancos finish third in LaLiga.
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Meanwhile, Rabiot joined Marseille in September 2024, three months after his contract with Juventus expired. He enjoyed a top-class year in his home nation, racking up 10 goals and six assists while also helping Les Phoceens finish second to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Although both players have been in good form, their inclusion in the lineup for arguably France's biggest game of the year thus far did not sit well with the fans.
On X, @forzajuve0706 wrote:
"Lenglet and rabiot the weak points, good otherwise."
"Lenglet, (Pierre) Kalulu and Rabiot. Lord be with us," @BrezhnevW74013 wrote.
Here is a selection of fan reactions (via X):
"Lenglet and Rabiot.. nah man," @manlikej wrote.
"Rabiot and Lenglet in 2025 is evil," @jerstonfilm claimed.
"Knew it in beforehand but just can't wrap my head around how Rabiot is starting in double pivot Alongside Lenglet at the back in big 2025 . This ain't looking good fellas," @AAbhi0710 wrote.
"Attack is great but Lenglet and Rabiot starting ffs," @JuliusUtd_ wrote.
"Lenglet and Rabiot in 2025. What does Deschamps actually do," @ikknowsball wrote.
"Lenglet, Rabiot and (Theo) Hernandez are only there for DEI reasons," @A_Shakur9 claimed.
"Oh my God... Rabiot, Lenglet? Uncle Didier is still stuck in 2018," @Barrylyeo wrote.
"Most stacked country itw and they still start with Rabiot and Lenglet," @timosburner wrote.
With 15 and 50 caps respectively, Lenglet and Rabiot are relatively experienced campaigners for France. The onus will likely be on them to keep the young, exciting attacking talent in check and mentor them through the game.
"He is the one who deserves it" - France coach Didier Deschamps predicts winner of 2025 Ballon d'Or ahead of UNL semi-final v Spain
France manager Didier Deschamps has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Ousmane Dembele is the deserving winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
The 28-year-old racked up 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 games across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign. He is one of the top contenders for the award, alongside Barcelona duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference before Spain's UEFA Nations League, Deschamps heaped praise on his star forward, who recently lifted the UCL with PSG. The 56-year-old said (via GOAL):
"Of course I support Dembele, and of course the Nations League or the Club World Cup can influence that. Of course, if you ask a Spaniard, they won't tell you the same thing. It's clear that Dembele is the one who deserves (he Ballon d'Or)."
Spain will take on France for a spot in the UEFA Nations League summit clash (June 5). In the final, the winner will take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, who beat Germany 2-1 in their semi-final.
