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Lovren adds to France criticism: Croatia 'played much better football'

ODD ANDERSEN / AFP / Getty

Croatia defender Dejan Lovren has become France's latest detractor by suggesting his side was "much better" than Les Bleus, whom he believes did not try to play football at the World Cup.

Lovren said, as quoted by the Independent's Miguel Delaney: "(We are) disappointed because we lost the game but played much better football than them. I am proud of what we achieved, second in the world."

"We played beautiful football and when we didn't have the ball, we stayed compact. But they had their chances and they scored. France have been one of the favourites to win the World Cup and they did."

"I think we have been better today and overall we have been better. France didn't play football. They waited for their chance and they scored. They had their one tactic and you have to respect it. They played every game of the tournament like that," he said.

The Liverpool centre-back's assessment of France's play under Didier Deschamps has not been the lone criticism this summer. After Belgium's 1-0 semi-final defeat, Thibaut Courtois suggested the new world champion nation played with a dour style akin to "anti-football" - criticism that was swiftly dismissed by French striker Antoine Griezmann.

Deschamps' brand of football had been criticised in some corners coming into the tournament, but the fact is it has now brought a European Championship runner-up medal and a return to World Cup glory in the last two years after nearly two decades in the dark. He and his players are unlikely to lose any sleep over naysayers.

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