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France head coach Didier Deschamps inserted Hugo Ekitike into a questionable position as the 23-year-old adjusts to life with Alexander Isak at Liverpool.
Ekitike's spot with the French national team had been up in the air, as the young star was initially not included in this month's World Cup qualifiers. However, a spot became available after Rayan Cherki's withdrawal, which led to his inclusion in the side's journey to the World Cup.
After playing the final nine minutes of France's 2-0 win over Ukraine, Ekitike saw even less playing time in the 2-1 win over Iceland. Toward the end of stoppage time, Deschamps brought Ekitike into the match, and less than one minute later, the match was over.
The 23-year-old did not touch the ball after entering the match in the 96th minute. Fans on social media were quick to notice the move by Deschamps and shared their thoughts on X, believing that the 56-year-old was making an example of the young star.
"Deschamps is not a fan of Ekitike," a fan wrote simply. Another added: "Deschamps subbing in Ekitike to play 30 seconds, I don't understand managers who do this."
Another commenter posted their colorful view on what transpired with Ekitike and Deschamps, stating that what the 23-year-old experienced was not right.
"Didier Deschamps really said: 'Ekitike, warm up, you're going on!'" the lengthy post began. "Bro came on in the 96th minute, full hype, shin pads tight, socks high… only for the referee to blow the final whistle 60 seconds later.
"ZERO touches, ZERO impact, just vibes and sweat. Imagine telling your kids: 'Yeah I played for France today'… but all you did was jog on, hear the whistle, and jog off. Man basically got subbed on to shake hands after the game."
By all accounts, fans were left perplexed by the decision to have Ekitike play non-meaningful seconds instead of inserting him when he could have made an impact.
"Classic Deschamps, always managing the clock to the last second! Bringing on Ekitike just to run down the clock feels a bit harsh poor guy didn’t even get a chance to shine. Sometimes those late subs are all about game management, not glory," a sympathetic fan wrote.
Meanwhile, Deschamps came to the defense of Adrien Rabiot, who was jeered by French fans at Parc des Princes after his departure from Marseille.
Speaking to reporters after the match, the 56-year-old stated, per the Daily Mail: "It's unacceptable. He's a French national team player, he wears this jersey.
"When he's at his club, it's none of my business. Adrien is solid enough, he turned them around around on the last play [with a defensive tackle]. It's not happening.
"No player should have to go through this - it's the French national team, he's French, like all players. It must not happen, it's unacceptable."
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