Propelled to the head of the French team in 2012, after a mixed Euro where he replaced his 98 teammate Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps, in an interview given to TF1, indicated that he would not continue his mission beyond the 2026 World Cup.
Record holder for the number of matches managed as coach of the Blues (165 matches), the former coach of Olympique de Marseille will have managed three matches of the Blues in Brittany to date. While as a player, he has never set foot on the Breton lawns during his 103 caps.
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1 A laborious draw
During the 32nd match for the French team under the Deschamps era, the Blues hosted Albania in a friendly on November 14, 2014 in Rennes, the first in Brittany. In the Rennes enclosure, which was still called the Stade de la route de Lorient, the Blues had a sad draw (1-1). Trailing after Mërgim Mavraj’s opener (40′), they reacted in the second half thanks to Antoine Griezmann, scorer of a nice goal.
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2 An offensive festival at Roazhon Park
On June 2, 2017, less than three years later, the French team returned to Rennes. But this time it was at Roazhon Park, and no longer at the Stade de la route de Lorient, renamed in 2015, that the Blues would play against Paraguay. This was Didier Deschamps’ 63rd meeting at the head of this team.
Didier Deschamps, here alongside Noël Le Graët, before the friendly match of the French team against Paraguay on June 2, 2017. (Photo archives Julien De Rosa/EPA) If the last Breton outing of the Blues had been more than mixed, this time, the Rennes supporters had witnessed a real tricolor offensive festival. Olivier Giroud then scored a hat-trick while Moussa Sissoko, then Antoine Griezmann, completed the large French victory against an overwhelmed South American selection.
In Rennes, Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick for Didier Deschamps’ 63rd on the Blues bench. (Photo archives Julien De Rosa/EPA) -
3 Mbappé as savior to Roudourou
Less than three months after their coronation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia against Croatia, the Blues are back in Brittany, in Guingamp, with a certain Noël Le Graët, then president of the French Football Federation.
Didier Deschamps, October 11, 2018, before the friendly match against Iceland in Guingamp. (Photo archives Nicolas Créach) This meeting, once again friendly, could have been a bad memory for the 98 world champion. Manhandled by the Icelanders, the Blues were trailing 2-0 after goals from Bjarnason and Árnason. But thanks to a thunderous entry from Kylian Mbappé, the French team saved the honor and drew the match. His 86th on the Blues bench was perhaps his last in Brittany.
