The Euro acted as a revelation for some of the French team’s supporters. A question, already existing in the previous months, became more pressing in people’s minds: after 12 years of reign, should Didier Deschamps not give up control?
The slap against Italy (1-3), Friday September 6, added a layer to the protest. The fire was quickly put out against Belgium (2-0), Monday, but the pre-match was marked by a few whistles towards the coach of the Blues.
Interviewed on the sidelines of a padel tournament sponsored by Emporio Armani in Paris on Tuesday, several former players of the French team agreed to give their feelings on this possible start of a divorce between Didier Deschamps and the supporters.
“I think we forget a little…”
“I heard that there was a lot of whistling when Didier Deschamps’ name was announced. That’s not good, because I think we’re forgetting a little… What the English have, and what makes them strong, is recognition,” argues Robert Pirès.
According to Youri Djorkaeff, “the French public is like all the public, it is used to having good things”. “It does not understand when it is not good because we have the players, we have the team, we have everything we need. Matches like against Italy, it should not happen, we have to say what is. Whether it is Didier or not Didier, when the team plays badly it is necessary to say it”, says the former Inter player.
Robert Pirès concedes that “the French team has not been playing very well for a while”. “I am the first to say it, and it is perhaps up to him to bring a bit of freshness, to find other players”.
A “normal” requirement
The sporting situation does not require sounding the alarm, according to Youri Djorkaeff. “The team played badly and recovered well. Nothing is a given in the French team, you always have to question yourself. That is also the strength of great teams. In cycles there are always ups and downs, but here we can’t say that this is a big low either.”
Florent Sinama-Pongolle, who has one selection under his belt, is of the same opinion. The former Liverpool centre-forward believes that Didier Deschamps “set the record straight a little by playing a decent match against the Belgians, a great nation too”.
That being said, the Canal+ consultant understands the criticism. “At some point, coaches who win a lot, we are more demanding with them. But that’s normal, it’s always been like that. Same for players. That’s exactly what’s happening with Didier,” justifies the Reunion native.
A shared responsibility
For Robert Pirès, the cause of the poor play of the Blues is also related to the profile of the players trained in France. “What bothers me is that today we don’t have any technical players,” observes the former Arsenal midfielder. “When I look at Spain, Portugal, England, Germany… That’s where we’re lacking. (…) We have very good players, but they’re all the same.”
But the responsibility for training does not lie with Didier Deschamps. “I’m talking about the Federation, the DTN. Perhaps we need to change the training, which is no longer based on technique,” wonders Robert Pirès. “We shouldn’t just blame the coach. Today, the coach is in place, he’s there, but if he doesn’t have technical players who can make a difference, what can he do about it? Not much…”
Former goalkeeper of the French team, Grégory Coupet notes that “wear and tear”, including “media-wise”, has set in over the course of Didier Deschamps’ term. “It’s never easy, when you have a great team, to renew it. We have a coach who has had results for a while now…”, he notes.
Having a great coach ready to take over from Didier Deschamps also amplifies this desire for change, argues Grégory Coupet. “We also know what’s behind it: everyone, half-heartedly, is waiting for Zizou.” The former Lyonnais nevertheless calls for “remaining cautious”: “We know what we would lose, without knowing what we would gain.”
- RMC Sport
