At the head of the French team, the cards are in the hands of Didier Deschamps
Mission accomplished. Didier Deschamps has led France to where the president’s roadmap calls for it to go: the last four. This is not the time to associate his success with his personal situation. “Everything in its time”, he was still evacuated Saturday evening. The coach’s contract is expiring, the only clear element absent in the federal environment.
DD always hinted that he wanted to continue, Noël Le Graët always wanted him to continue. Simple? Not as much as it seems, as the Federation (FFF) is under investigation initiated by the Minister of Sports, the results of which will be known. “mid February”, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said at RMC on Saturday. Soon the throne of the 81-year-old Breton patriarch was swaying and knives were sharpened in the back kitchen.
A complicated year so far
The progress of the French team has relieved Deschamps after a difficult year so far, both sportingly (three defeats) and personally (the death of his father). If you were surprised by certain choices, it’s out. If it doesn’t always dazzle on the ground, it moves forward. And while praising his pragmatism, it has often been a way of saying his teams are boring.
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This World Cup showed that ten years in power did not affect his speech. His players follow him. That point raised doubts a day after Euro 2021, missed for ten minutes off the break but above all, well-closed from inside.
Zidane’s shadow
Le Graët then received him at Guingamp (Côtes-d’Armor) to experience everything. They shook hands, they decided to continue to Qatar, then we will see. The two men have always shown loyalty to each other. The fact that the coach appeared at the Ballon d’Or with his president in the middle of the storm says a lot about their relationship. In fact, their fate could be sealed like this…
For the first time since his tenure began in July 2012, Deschamps approached a major tournament unsure of what his future held. I’m not sure he’s enjoying this situation.
Especially since the shadow of Zinedine Zidane, who was unemployed for eighteen months and called to take over the reins of “Blues” one day, stretched over his mandate through interruptions, rumors, rumors, not only… Now it is impossible. dispute its legitimacy to proceed if it wishes. Given their recent performances and the setbacks that befell their group before entering the competition (injuries to Nkunku, Benzema and Hernandez after packages of Kanté, Pogba and Kimpembe), many would have signed for the semi-finals.
Euro 2021, the only air hole on the course
There is no better in this position. His long-term reliability is remarkable (64.7% win rate in 136 matches). In fact, Euro 2021 is the only air gap in its course. And again: three months later, the Blues won the Nations League. Otherwise the boxes are always checked.
In Brazil 2014, it was quite simple, as no concrete targets were set after a miraculous qualification. France defeated the eventual winner (Germany) and reached the quarterfinals. Two years later, the home Euro final ended in disappointment, a mess of sextape blackmail and a massacre of injured people (already).
What’s next in the adventure?
In 2018, he joined Brazilian Mario Zagallo and German Franz Beckenbauer among those who won the World Cup as both a player and a coach. Only two matches left in history. The paradox is that this result, more than any other, may make him think about the continuation of the adventure, because it would be difficult to imagine a better exit than becoming the greatest of all time.
