DIDIER DESCHAMPS has accused Aymeric Laporte of being a liar.
The Manchester City defender has switched allegiances from France to Spain for Euro 2020.
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Etihad centre-back Laporte, 27, made the claim he did not receive a reply from the French World Cup-winning boss when he sent him a message – but Deschamps refutes that.
Deschamps said: “What makes me uncomfortable is what he might say, and that is a lie.
“The only message I received from him was in October about a precise situation regarding an injury he had sustained in September.
“He has that freedom. He hasn’t played for us? It could have happened, ten seconds would have been enough.
“He has always been in the list of players called up, but there has been competition for places.”
Chelsea’s trio of France stars linked up with Deschamps’ Euro squad yesterday and received a hero’s welcome on their arrival in Nice.
Following last Saturday’s Champions League triumph against Manchester City in Porto, N’Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud and Kurt Zouma were hailed by their team-mates and Deschamps ahead of tonight’s friendly with Wales.
Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris will captain France for the 100th time.
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While Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, 33, could play for his country for the first time since 2015 following his alleged role in the sex-tape blackmail of former France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
Deschamps has reportedly forced Benzema and Giroud to sit next to each other in a bid to end their feud.
Benzema, 33, has been critical of his fellow striker Giroud during his absence from the national set-up
In March last year he was asked to compare himself to the Chelsea striker.
He replied: “This won’t take long. You don’t confuse F1 with go-karting. And I’m being kind. I know I’m F1.
“It works because he’s there. That’s all. It’s not going to be spectacular, it’s not going to be anything crazy but in his way you see more of Griezmann or Mbappe because he will put the work in.
“Does everyone like that way of playing? I don’t know.”
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