PSG left fuming over Bradley Barcola injury and accuse French national team of mismanagement' as feud with FFF intensifies after Ousmane Dembele & Desire Doue injuries

This dispute adds to a series of long-standing tensions, particularly since the Dembele and Doue affairs in September. The tone has now escalated to the point of undermining relations between the two institutions.

Barcola, called up by Didier Deschamps for France's upcoming set of World Cup qualifiers, reported to Clairefontaine before having to withdraw. According to the FFF statement, the PSG winger is suffering from "a chronic injury to his right hamstring since the Parisian club's Champions League match against Atalanta Bergamo."

This explanation immediately provoked the anger of PSG. The club believes that this version is false and that the injury is unrelated to the European match. According to L'Équipe, the Parisian club's management had already expressed reservations about the player's call-up after an MRI scan carried out on the morning of the squad gathering.

The FFF's statement was very poorly received at the Parc des Princes. The club responded firmly on Monday with a statement that read: "Paris Saint-Germain was surprised to learn of the press release issued by the French Football Federation on Monday 6 October regarding Bradley Barcola's state of health. The information published in this press release does not correspond in any way to the medical information provided by the Paris Saint-Germain medical teams."

PSG officials believe the Federation made a mistake by mentioning a supposedly old injury, which would suggest mismanagement on their part.

The publication of the statement has reawakened old grudges. Relations between the two sides had already become strained in September after Dembele and Doue were injured during the match against Ukraine. This time, Les Parisiens are accusing the FFF of violating medical confidentiality.

The club insists: "Medical confidentiality must be respected for the good of all parties." Internally, several voices believe that the Federation wanted to shift the blame for this injury, which deeply annoyed PSG's leaders.

Faced with controversy, the FFF sought to justify themselves, stating that their communication complies with standard practice, according to the French sports daily. They responded by emphasising that it "usually communicates the reason for forfeits, as clubs do."

In other words, the institution denies any intention to harm PSG and explains that they were simply following standard practice. However, it is precisely on this point that the disagreement persists, as the club claims that the injury was only noticed much later, during the match against Lille, when Barcola left the field in the 60th minute.

In this tense atmosphere, head coach Deschamps is trying to maintain a certain balance. According to reports, the coach could have kept Barcola in the squad, but chose to release him instead. The aim was to avoid aggravating his injury and get him back in top form for the next gathering in November, which is considered more decisive for qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

The Barcola affair is far from being a simple medical misunderstanding. It is part of a series of recurring disagreements between PSG and the FFF. This new dispute illustrates the fragility of the collaboration between the two institutions, which are nevertheless condemned to coexist in the interests of French players. A telling sign: only two PSG players were called up for the October international break, compared to five in the previous squad in September.

This standoff goes beyond a simple medical issue. Behind the words and press releases, there is a power struggle between a powerful club, jealous of its authority over its players, and a Federation keen to maintain control over communications regarding Les Bleus. If tensions persist, they could ultimately affect the availability of PSG players for future international fixtures, a scenario that no one openly wants, but which many now fear.

Additional reporting by Patrick Tchanhoun.