Didier Deschamps has expressed concerns that France’s preparations for Sunday’s opening game against Honduras have been compromised by a possible spying mission after a drone hovered over their training camp in Brazil.

The France manager said that Fifa was carrying out an investigation into the bizarre incident, which took place during a training session at the team’s base in Ribeirão Preto before their departure for Porto Alegre.

It is unclear at this stage who was behind the stunt, although Deschamps was clearly less than impressed, unlike a number of the French players, who are believed to have reacted with amusement when the drone – a small unmanned flying machine more commonly used to spy on military targets – hovered above.

A Honduran reporter was quick to point out during Deschamps’ pre-match press conference that the drone had nothing to do with France’s opponents at the Estádio Beira-Rio. Fifa is yet to comment on the situation, with Deschamps happy to leave the matter in the governing body’s hands.

“Apparently drones are used more and more,” said Deschamps, who intimated that he had not been doing anything particularly secretive at the time. “It’s not up to me. Fifa handles this and has been carrying out an inquiry; we don’t want any intrusion into our privacy. It’s very hard to fight this these days.”

France and World Cups rarely seem to pass by without incident, although Deschamps was keen to stress that the off-the-field problems that Les Bleus experienced in South Africa four years ago, which were rather more serious than a remote control aircraft, belong to the past.

“You shouldn’t mention South Africa,” Deschamps said. “We’re now in a another World Cup, we’re in Brazil and were not going to be judged by what we did four years ago. It’s wonderful to have a good atmosphere here. We have supporters behind the team.”

Asked about how he had dealt with the cliques that have been a major issue for previous France managers, Deschamps said: “Clique is a rather technical word for me but there are affinities in every squad. There are people who like each other and who don’t. We have to live in common. Others enjoy each others’ company and like to go out together. What is important is be united on the pitch and seek the same objective.”

With Switzerland and Ecuador the other teams in Group E, France could not have wished for an easier draw in many people’s eyes. Greg Dyke, the chairman of the Football Association, went as far as to say that France “will be committing suicide” if they fail to reach the knock-out stage. Deschamps refused to respond to Dyke’s remarks.

“Since he’s president of the English FA, you may want to ask him this question. If it was Roy Hodgson, I would have answered. But it’s not the case.”

Deschamps was in a prickly mood throughout. He declined to wear his headphones to hear the translator, which made it difficult for him to answer questions asked in English, and he also claimed that his description of Honduras as an “aggressive team”, on the back of their friendly against England in Miami, had been blown out of proportion.

“It’s true that one French media, which doesn’t represent the French people, mentioned Honduras is violent,” he said.

“It’s a rather aggressive team, it’s true, but I didn’t only say this. They play as a team, defend well, we know about the two attacking players who are very bulky, the defenders are tough. It’s a rather aggressive team but it’s a high quality team, a South American team. Maybe they are more aggressive than others but it’s not only that.”