Deschamps gives up

It is with one of his former clubs as a player that Didier Deschamps is currently in conflict. As last September, Wesley Fofana was retained by Chelsea even though he was expected at Clairefontaine on Monday for the November gathering of the French team. The central defender, however, continues the Premier League matches but suffers from a knee and the Blues wanted ” absolutely “ (according to RMC Sport) keep it during this international window. The French staff accepted the request from London and therefore called Benjamin Pavard for reinforcement.

“La Dèche” only played one season for Stamford Bridge, in 1999-2000. After five years at Juventus, where he won the scudetto three times and a second Champions Leaguethe defensive midfielder joined his great friend Marcel Desailly as well as Frank Leboeuf at CFC. Deschamps took the opportunity to score his one and only goal in the UCL, with a huge point from distance! Gianluca Vialla's team was eliminated by Barça after a nightmarish quarter-final return at the Camp Nou (5-1, ap) and finished 5th in the Premier League. But Chelsea won the FA Cup at Wembley, beating Aston Villa (1-0, goal from Roberto Di Matteo).

Deschamps not a fan of English football

After Euro 2000 won by France in Rotterdam, and his international retirement at 31, Deschamps asked to leave Chelsea. “Didier is a great professional and remains a very good player. He hasn't adapted to English football as well as he would have liked and informed us that if the right club came along he would be interested in a transfer. The deal was closed very quickly and we wish him the best”explained Colin Hutchinson, general manager of Chelsea at the time. Valencia, finalist in the C1 against Real, recruited the Basque for 3 million euros.

Ten years later as coach of OM, before challenging Chelsea in the Champions League, “DD” looked back on his stay in London: “Obviously, it was a radical change in culture since I had spent 5 years in Italy. I changed countries, I needed a period of adaptation, but there was always a full stadium with supporters always behind the team even when things were going badly, there was no aggressiveness. I had the chance and the immense happiness to win the Cup at Wembley before the work, so it remains a good memory.”