Didier Deschamps has insisted that he 'will not condemn' Hugo Lloris for his costly error in France's 2-1 defeat to Sweden on Friday night.
The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper raced out of his goal and booted the ball straight at opposition player Ola Toivonen, who managed to pick out an empty net from just inside his own half.
Lloris's late error - his first for Les Bleus leading to a goal since a qualifier against Belarus in 2013 - came in the third minute of added time and left his side with little chance to find a response.
Deschamps is refusing to criticise his captain, though, as Lloris is fully aware of the magnitude of his mistake.
"I am not going to condemn Hugo," he told TF1. "He has often been decisive with us. He preferred to control the ball. If he clears the ball far and away, there is no way it comes back. But he knows that. He knows it is his fault and it cost us.
"He is a keeper who made a mistake and it is noticed more than an outfield player. It is unfortunate for him and for the whole team. The players were extremely dejected, Hugo most of all. Losing always hurts and under these circumstances it hurts more."
Sweden climbed above France to the top of the Group A standings thanks to their dramatic victory in Stockholm.
Daniel Lewis
