France coach devastated by 'immense' Euro 2016 final defeat

Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch in the 25th minute, eight minutes after injuring his knee in a clash with France's Dimitri Payet

France's Antoine Griezmann attempts a shot at goal during the Euro 2016 final soccer match between Portugal and France. AP/PTI
France's Antoine Griezmann attempts a shot at goal during the Euro 2016 final soccer match between Portugal and France. AP/PTI
ANI Paris
Last Updated : Jul 11 2016 | 12:10 PM IST

Devastated by the Euro 2016 final defeat at the hands of Portugal, France coach Didier Deschamps has admitted he is running out of words to describe the disappointment of losing the summit showdown.

France's 18-match winning streak at home came to a sudden halt after they were beaten 0-1 by the Cristiano Ronaldo-led side in the finals of the European Championship at Stade de France on Monday.

After both sides failed to score goals in the regulation time, substitute Eder struck the match-winning goal for Portugal to ensure his side finish their Euro 2016 campaign on a winning note.

The match also saw skipper Cristiano Ronaldo leave the pitch in the 25th minute of the match, eight minutes after injuring his knee in a clash with France's Dimitri Payet.

Deschamps said that his side were paid for failing a number of chances to score while conceding that it would take time to overcome the loss.

"There are no words, the disappointment is immense. It will take time to digest it," the France coach was quoted as saying by goal.com.

France, however, almost clinched a victory when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned and hit the ball inside of the post at the end of normal time.

Reflecting on the same, Deschamps admitted his side had missed a really big chance to be the champions of Europe.

"Even if we were missing a little bit of energy tonight, it's not an excuse, we had opportunities, the last was Gignac. After that we continued, it was a very tight match and we had our chances even if the Portuguese had their own opportunities as well," he added.

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First Published: Jul 11 2016 | 11:57 AM IST

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