"We failed" – Disappointment for "Les Bleus"

Superstars fail to shine

"We tried. We failed. It simply wasn't enough today. But it's a World Cup, all teams play at a high level," were the harsh words from head coach Didier Deschamps after the final whistle.

His team largely failed to develop the necessary attacking punch, while Spain struck clinically at the right moments. After 22 minutes, Mikel Oyarzabal scored from a penalty kick to take the lead.

Even after that, the 2010 World Champions were the more stable and, above all, more composed team. After the break, surging right-back Pedro Porro scored to make it 2-0 (58'). The final blow for the "Equipe Tricolore".

Praise for Spain

"Of course, we are all disappointed. We had set big goals for ourselves, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. We have to admit that the Spaniards were better today," Deschamps also had words of praise for the winners.

France seemed to have lost its last conviction. Even a few half-chances in a desperate final offensive could not change the fact that the Deschamps era ends after 14 years without another title.

Record for Deschamps

On France's National Day, Deschamps, with his 26th match as a coach in a World Cup finals, surpassed the previous German record holder Helmut Schön (last in 1978).

This was, of course, little consolation. "The players are devastated because we had big goals," explained the 57-year-old.

"Primarily, we ourselves bear the responsibility for this. We fell short of our potential and were not as dangerous offensively as we could have been. Furthermore, we made several technical errors in our passing game, which nullified potential scoring opportunities."

For the disappointed French, Saturday's third-place play-off is now only about honor and a dignified end to the Deschamps era. Because after the World Cup, legend Zinedine Zidane, the destined successor, is already in the starting blocks.