"Most frustrating player ever", "Professional con artist" - France fans slam star for performance in loss to Spain in Euro 2024 SF

Fans slammed Ousmane Dembele for his disappointing perfomance in France's 2-1 UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final loss to Spain on Tuesday (July 9) in Munich. Les Bleus took an early lead but conceded twice in succession and couldn't muster a response.

Following a frantic opening, Randal Kolo Muani headed in captain Kylian Mbappe's cross to give Didier Deschamps' side the lead inside eight minutes. However, La Roja's response was swift, with the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal curling home a brilliant equaliser 13 minutes later to become the youngest scorer in Euro history.

In the 25th minute, Dani Olmo's deflected effort (through Jules Kounde) gave La Roja the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Deschamps rang the changes in the second half, bringing on Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud but to no avail as Les Bleus bowed out of the tournament.

Reaching their first European Championship final in 12 years, La Roja are the first side to win six games in a single Euros campaign. Another will take them level with Brazil (2002 FIFA World Cup) for most wins at a single major tournament.

Fans, meanwhile, had a go at Dembele, with one tweeting:

"Ousmane Dembele is the most frustrating player ever. Shame."

Another was even more scathing:

"Ousmane Dembele is a professional con artist because no one should be getting paid that much to be that a** lmao"

A third commented, albeit sarcastically:

"Bro, I play better football than Dembele, and I don't even play football."

There were similar reactions from other fans, with Heplayesten tweeting:

"Dembele btw what a nothing footballer"

Nan191011 tweeted:

"Dembele dropping stinkers in Euros and World Cup"

SerieAscout posted:

"Ousmane Dembele is pound for pound the worst player in history"

La Roja now await the England or the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday (July 14) in Berlin while France wonder what might have been.

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"We pushed all the way to the end" - France boss after bowing out of Euro 2024 to Spain

France manager Didier Deschamps lamented his team's vertical progression of the ball, especially after falling behind after opening the scoring in their Euro 2024 semi-final loss to Spain.

The veteran boss also rued that his team could have been more efficient after Kolo Muani's opener while admitting that their opponents dominated proceedings (as per UEFA.com):

"We were able to open the scoring, which was great. Spain mastered the game better than us, though. We didn't perform that well. We didn't play as vertically as I wanted. We pushed all the way to the end.

"You need to be as relaxed as possible and hit the target. This is what we've been missing. Nevertheless, we made it to the semi-final and found a way to score, thanks to Kolo (Muani). Of course, it would have been better if we'd been as efficient as we had been before."

Spain are now one win away from becoming the first team in European Championship history to win four titles, with their previous successes coming in 1964, 2008 and 2012.