"This attitude is unacceptable", Samuel Umtiti accuses Lens of giving up against Como

Umtiti criticised Lens for giving up during their historic 1-9 Champions League defeat to Como, citing unacceptable defensive attitudes and lack of fight.

Lens suffered a historic 1-9 defeat to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday, prompting sharp criticism from former World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti. While acknowledging Como's technical superiority under Cesc Fabregas, Umtiti focused his criticism on Lens's defensive behaviour and mental approach, particularly citing an instance where the defence anticipated losing the ball and stopped playing before Como had even lost possession, leading to a goal.

"This attitude is unacceptable," Umtiti said on RMC's After Foot. "You can lose certain duels, not be good, but this attitude where you give up, where you anticipate the opponent's loss of the ball when they haven't even lost it—that's unacceptable. In the Champions League, you pay for it."

Lens manager Yannick Cahuzac acknowledged the humiliation and called for the squad to address their issues before Sunday's match against Marseille. "The only word that comes to mind and the feeling I have is humiliation," he said. "We need to tell each other what went wrong and find some pride for Sunday."