SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 2010: Midfielder Jeremy Toulalan admits French team 'isn't very good' after defeat by Mexico

Record ID: 452446

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 2010: Midfielder Jeremy Toulalan admits French team 'isn't very good' after defeat by Mexico
  • Date: 19th June 2010
  • Summary: KNYSNA, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 18, 2010) (REUTERS) FRANCE MIDFIELDER JEREMY TOULALAN AT NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCE MIDFIELDER JEREMY TOULALAN, SAYING: "Once again, I am not saying... because you criticise, and that is your job, and once again, that doesn't bother me, because today I cannot say that we don't deserve it, it would be stupid to say that. There you go, at the moment we deserve it, and I accept it. Even if it is hard. I can't say anything. You say we aren't good, we aren't good, we are not going to say that we are good... I agree with you. But what I was just saying, I said that sometimes you go a bit far; but I am not talking about sport, I mean other things." TOULALAN LEAVES THE PODIUM
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1UU28II9JW776C9MC0VKIR5ZO
  • Story Text: French midfielder Jeremy Toulalan accepted journalists criticism and apologised on Friday (June 18) after his side's defeat at the hands of Mexico and said the players need to learn how to play as a team.
    France were left on the brink of exiting the World Cup following their Group A 2-0 defeat by Mexico the night before.
    "Once again, I am not saying... because you criticise, and that is your job, and once again, that doesn't bother me, because today I cannot say that we don't deserve it, it would be stupid to say that," he answered to journalists criticism of the team's performance.
    "There you go, at the moment we deserve it, and I accept it. Even if it is hard. I can't say anything. You say we aren't good, we aren't good, we are not going to say that we are good... I agree with you. But what I was just saying, I said that sometimes you go a bit far; but I am not talking about sport, I mean other things."
    Toulalan will be suspended for France's final Group A game against South Africa next week after collecting his second yellow card of the tournament during the match against Mexico on Thursday (June 17).
    Toulalan was booked for a challenge on forward Guillermo Franco just before half time, when the game remained goalless at the break.
    Mexico victory was their first over France and left the former winners facing a possible embarrassing early World Cup exit.
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