Laurent Koscielny has retired from international football and taken a dig at France head coach Didier Deschamps in the process.
The Arsenal defender missed this summer’s World Cup in Russia after suffering an Achilles injury playing for Arsenal against Atletico Madrid in the Europa League, and has now decided to focus on his club career.
The 33-year-old took the opportunity to criticise Deschamps, however, and claimed France winning the World Cup caused him a “lot more psychological damage than my injury”.
“I think that I have given everything I can for France, I am 33, I have done two Euros, one World Cup,” Koscielny told French TV station _Canal+_.
He(Deschamps) called me only once, that’s for my birthday and that was all, I have given my best, let he rest continue. The world cup agonizing injury was more of a stab in my back
“France has a great generation of great players now. My injury does not change my decision. For Les Bleus, it is finished.”