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Fans slammed William Saliba following his poor performance in France's UEFA Nations League loss to Italy on Friday. The defender, who often looks assured in the heart of defence for club and country, had a game to forget for Les Bleus.
On X (formerly Twitter), fans expressed their disappointment with the Arsenal defender's performance.
"France Saliba na Badiashile in disguise," one wrote.
Another fan blamed the Frenchman for a goal, posting:
"Saliba literally played the goal scorer on. Konate tried holding the line. Saliba playing like an amateur."
Another fan referenced his role in the third goal for the Azzurri.
"I think we need to have a serious chat about Saliba," a fan said.
An Arsenal fan showed their support for the defender despite his poor game, saying:
"I love saliba but where tf he was when his country needed him the most. He's still #my_goat anw."
A fan cast doubt on the defender's reputation, saying:
"the perception of Saliba and the actual player are very very different."
The French defender will have the chance to repair his reputation when Les Bleus face Belgium on Monday (Sept. 9) in their second UEFA Nations League game in Paris.
France manager laments Adrien Rabiot's situation after Nations League exclusion
France boss Didier Deschamps has lamented the situation around Adrien Rabiot. The former Juventus midfielder was excluded from the team's UEFA Nations League squad to face Italy and Belgium because he is without a club after his deal with the "Old Lady" expired.
Despite initial interest from clubs across Europe, Rabiot has been without a club since his deal expired. He has won 48 caps for France since he made his debut in 2016 under Deschamps.
Speaking about the regrettable situation with Rabiot before his side's opening Nations League loss to Italy, the World Cup winning manager said (via Goal):
"Adrien Rabiot has a somewhat embarrassing situation. His contract was expiring and he was solicited by several teams but now he's without a team and doesn’t train in a group. I hope he can quickly choose a club that can then bring him back to us."
Despite missing out on this UEFA Nations League squad, the midfielder could return to European football this season. With Barcelona facing a shortage of bodies in midfield due to injury, he is a viable option to bolster their ranks.
