France boss hits back at AVB over Lloris row

Monday, November 12, 2012
4:55 PM

Didier Deschamps has hit back at Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas as their war of words over goalkeeper Hugo Lloris intensifies.

Deschamps has been at odds with Villas-Boas ever since the Portuguese signed the France goalkeeper from Lyon for £8million on transfer deadline day.

The France head coach is unhappy that Lloris, who also captains the national team, is not a regular starter at Tottenham, where he is in competition with Brad Friedel.

Last week Deschamps claimed Villas-Boas’ rotation policy could have a detrimental effect on the goalkeeper’s form. The Spurs manager shrugged off the claims, saying of Deschamps’ comments: “It goes in one ear and comes out the other.”

Deschamps responded with a similar barb today.

“I have two ears as well. What he (Villas-Boas) says has the same effect on me,” Deschamps was quoted as saying at a France press conference reported by L’Equipe.

Lloris has started six games for Spurs, but only one of them has come in the Barclays Premier League. The Frenchman was partly to blame for a howling error in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Maribor last Thursday, and 41-year-old Friedel was preferred for yesterday’s game at Manchester City.

Deschamps, whose team travel to Italy for a friendly on Wednesday, has been encouraged to see Lloris getting more game time of late but also claimed the stopper is not playing as much as he would like to.

“We are not talking of a player who does not play,” Deschamps said.

“Since he played his excellent match against Spain (France’s 1-1 draw last month), he has kept goal three times.

“Hugo is playing one match per week. Of course, he would like to play more, and it is not the case for the moment,” the former Chelsea midfielder was quoted as saying on Eurosport’s website.

“He is getting on with it as best he possibly can (but) obviously he would like to play more.”