France have lost their appeal against the yellow card shown to Michael Olise during their World Cup Round of 16 victory over Paraguay, leaving the winger one booking away from suspension.
Head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed on Wednesday that FIFA had rejected the appeal, meaning Olise’s caution will stand ahead of France’s quarter-final clash with Morocco.
“The yellow card has not changed. We were notified by FIFA this morning that it has been maintained,” Deschamps said.
Olise was booked late in the heated encounter after an altercation with Paraguay’s Matias Galarza. Television replays appeared to show minimal contact between the players, but FIFA upheld the referee’s decision.
The Bayern Munich star will now head into the quarter-final under suspension threat, with another booking ruling him out of a potential semi-final. Bradley Barcola and Manu Koné are also one caution away from a ban.
Deschamps also provided a positive update on midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, saying he is recovering well from the thigh injury that kept him out of the win over Paraguay.
