France’s hopes of overturning a controversial yellow card for star midfielder Michael Olise have been dashed, with FIFA upholding the decision, coach Didier Deschamps confirmed on Wednesday. The ruling means Olise now faces a potential suspension for a World Cup semi-final should he receive another booking during France’s quarter-final clash with Morocco on Thursday.
"There was no change when it comes to Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision this morning that the yellow card was maintained," Deschamps stated. The French federation had appealed the infraction, issued to Olise in the 97th minute of their 1-0 victory over Paraguay following an altercation with Matías Galarza. While Galarza went to ground, video replays appeared to show Olise merely grasping the Paraguayan’s jersey before he toppled.
The decision stands in stark contrast to a recent case involving US striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA lifted Balogun’s suspension for a red card after Donald Trump made a phone call to FIFA head Gianni Infantino, arguing for the player’s reinstatement. Balogun subsequently played in the US team’s 4-1 loss to Belgium, which saw them eliminated from the tournament.
The status of Olise’s appeal was among the first questions posed to Deschamps as France prepares for their fourth consecutive World Cup quarter-final appearance. A victory would keep them on track to become only the third nation to reach the semi-finals in three successive tournaments, a feat previously achieved by Germany and Brazil.
However, Deschamps’ news conference was largely dominated by a multitude of off-field issues, including recent racist remarks aimed at France’s talisman Kylian Mbappé, concerns over officiating, and questions about his own future. The upcoming match against Morocco, a repeat of the Qatar 2022 World Cup semi-final, is so significant that law enforcement in France is mobilising thousands of officers to prepare for potential unrest.
Mbappé himself condemned comments made by a Paraguayan senator following her country's loss to France. Deschamps described his star player’s mood as focused despite the incident. "Kylian is OK. Whatever happens, I don’t want to look back and think about it again. He’s a very strong guy mentally, physically. He’s just focused on tomorrow’s game," he affirmed.
Concerns about officiating arose after three French players received yellow cards in the previous round, compared to none for Paraguay in an ill-tempered game. Yet, Deschamps expressed minimal concern. "It is out of our control," he said. "I trust the refereeing. … Some refereeing decisions may lead to discussions. It really depends on everyone’s opinion. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee. The referee is there to apply fairly the laws of the game."
The 57-year-old Deschamps, who captained France to their 1998 World Cup triumph and has coached the national side for 14 years, including their 2018 World Cup victory, was also asked about his impending departure after the tournament. "Thank you for your concerns. But I do not think about it," he responded. "The last game could have been the last one. In my head, with the technical staff, we want to win tomorrow. That’s the objective. In a football game there are many possibilities when it comes to tomorrow’s result. … I’m focused on the Moroccan team so we can win that game."
