The French supporters cannot digest it. The day after the Blues’ defeat against Spain in the semi-final of the World Cup, regrets were heavy in the French camp. Consequence of the poor performance of Didier Deschamps’ troops but also of refereeing decisions that are questionable.
Some did not wait to express their dismay. This is evidenced by the various petitions launched to have the match replayed. “During the penalty shootout awarded to Spain, Lamine Yamal touches the ball with his hand. France should not have taken this first goal, which changes the whole aspect of the match, writes one of them, who flirts with 30,000 signatures two days after the match. Sport must be played within the rules, and tonight they were not respected. »
“A semi-final is not a match like any other, it must be refereed in an exemplary and impartial manner. Which was not the case last night, writes another petition, pointing the finger at “countless injustices such as imaginary French faults and numerous faults not whistled in favor of France” who punctuated the meeting.
A French habit
If these approaches may make you smile or testify to a certain post-defeat “seum”, they are in reality part of a tradition now well established among French fans. This phenomenon is strikingly reminiscent of the historic mobilization observed after the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.
On the occasion of the previous World Cup, the petition “Replay the France-Argentina match!” » had collected the score of 241,012 signatures from angry Internet users. The fans castigated an arbitration considered to be in favor of the Albiceleste cause as well as the illegal presence of Argentine substitutes on the field during the third goal.
A year earlier, the one calling for a replay of the round of 16 against Switzerland at Euro 2020 had exceeded 300,000 signatures.
