The left back has admitted that France put in a disappointing performance on Tuesday in the loss to Sweden, a result that forced a quarterfinal date with Spain.
Gael Clichy has conceded that France played poorly in the 2-0 Group D defeat against Sweden on Tuesday evening.Les Bleus started Euro 2012 with a draw against England before beating co-host Ukraine in their second game, but they were unable to complete the group phase on a winning note against the Swedes. Clichy believes that fatigue played a small part in the reverse, but admitted that the team must accept it performed below par.
"We wanted to win, but we came up against a very good team with great players. We have to acknowledge that we played poorly," Clichy stated to reporters. "We were a bit tired because of the heat and the fact that some players have taken part in three games in [nine] days, but that goes for every team. We could have done better defensively and be more creative offensively. But there's nothing to worry about."
The left back then looked ahead to the quarterfinal match against Spain, and assured that France is ready to face the defending champion despite seeing its undefeated streak come to an end.
"The end of our 23-game unbeaten run is not a big deal. It doesn't change what we've achieved over the past two years. It means we now face a quarterfinal against Spain, but if you want to win the tournament you have to beat everybody. It's going to be a great game to be involved in."
France's quarter-final encounter with Spain kicks off on Saturday.
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