Boghossian: Clear-the-air talks good for squad

France assistant coach Alain Boghossian believes the verbal exchanges that took place between players in the dressing room after the defeat by Sweden on Tuesday have had a positive impact on the squad.

Speaking at a press conference in Donetsk, the former Parma FC defender did not deny this morning's reports in the French media of heated discussions after the final whistle in Kyiv, but insisted it was a good sign. "I'd have been much more worried if there had been no reaction at all," Boghossian said.

"We should've beaten Sweden and won the group, but we simply didn't perform. That there are exchanges after such a defeat is totally normal. For me, it's wholly positive. The air has been cleared." Boghossian added that Les Bleus remain totally united and focused on Saturday's quarter-final against Spain. "Everyone is happy and getting on well."

The 41-year-old pointed to the productive team meeting at their Kyiv hotel in the early hours of Wednesday morning as proof of the healthy atmosphere in the camp. "After everyone had had a cold shower, and some time to cool off, we sat down together at the hotel and talked things through, face-to-face. Everybody said what he felt he needed to say. That's important. It's like with a couple – if you don't talk to each other things can build up."

After confirming that Samir Nasri and Franck Ribéry sat out Wednesday's training session due to "minor problems", Boghossian revealed work has commenced in formulating a plan to beat the holders. "We were studying videos until late last night, dissecting Spain's game," he said. "We watched their matches at UEFA EURO 2012 to get up to speed with their tactics. Not many teams can stop Spain, but we'll do our best to put in place the appropriate plan of action."