Thibaut Simon, Media365, published on Saturday January 11, 2025 at 8:20 p.m.
According to an Odoxa survey for RTL and Winamax, more than 80% of the French welcome Didier Deschamps’ record at the head of the French team. To succeed him, one name comes very far in the lead.
Didier Deschamps announced his departure at the head of the France team after the 2026 World Cup organized in the United States, Mexico and Canada. A mandate which will end after 14 years on the bench of the French selection with which he won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League. Also a finalist during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Didier Deschamps has a more than positive record with the Blues . Recently, he qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2024/2025 Nations League with a double confrontation against Croatia. According to a survey carried out by Odoxa, Deschamps’ career is praised by 83% of the 1,005 people questioned, including 389 who say they are “football fans”.
Deschamps’ qualities in the spotlight
In addition to the record at the head of the Blues, Didier Deschamps contributed to improving the image of the Blues for 74% of French people surveyed. After the failure in 2002, the Knysna fiasco during the 2010 World Cup, the French team did not attract praise from the public. But the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and Euro 2016 in France gave the group a good image again. Deschamps also made it possible to find titles, which had been missing since Euro 2000. The French underline his culture of winning (77%) and his sense of collective (75%). The emergence of players like Griezmann is the perfect example of the group assembled by Deschamps throughout his tenure.
Zidane acclaimed
While Deschamps’ departure is confirmed, the question of his replacement naturally arises. The French believe that this decision is the right one (62%) to start a new cycle. Without much surprise, the name of Zinédine Zidane is mentioned at 65% to take the place on the Blues bench. Among football fans, this percentage even reaches 71%. Very well in the lead, the former number 10 is ahead of Thierry Henry (12%) who was on the bench of the French Olympic team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In third position, we find Arsène Wenger (7%), the Former Arsenal manager. Other names are also mentioned such as those of Laurent Blanc, Christophe Galtier and Bruno Genesio. For 70% of French people, Didier Deschamps is the best coach in the history of French football.
