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The coach of the French national team, Laurent Blanc, admitted after losing to Spain that his players "lacked something".
"Les Bleus" were defeated by the champions of the Old Continent 0-2 without creating practically any chances to score. Both goals for the winners were scored by Xabi Alonso: in the 19th minute, the goalkeeper scored with a header, and just before the final whistle, he converted a penalty from 11 meters.
"When you lose, you always have to admit that something was lacking. I'm not sure if this time we controlled the ball too little, or if there was a lack of technical abilities," said the coach. "The guys gave their all, but playing against Spain is very difficult. We tried to block the opponents' left attacking side, which is their strength."
He added: "We knew we would get our chance, but it's a shame that the Spaniards converted their first opportunity. If the score had remained 0-0 until half-time, we would have had more space in the second half."
In the semi-final, Spain will play against Portugal.
