It’s difficult to know if nostalgia is a good advisor, to be sure that it guides us in the right direction and does not skew reality in the twists and turns of our memory. One thing is certain, its misty veil fell on the corner of our noses when we learned what we all suspected: Didier Deschamps will leave the French team the day after the 2026 World Cup, his fourth at the head of the Blues. The information was revealed to TF1 during an interview recorded for Operation Yellow Pieces. She surprised just about everyone on set, Brigitte Macron included. His look betrayed his surprise and ours, in a way. After fourteen years at the head of the Blues, we ended up believing that he would be on the bench forever.
Didier Deschamps has always liked to control the environment in which he operates. For once, he hadn’t calculated his move. He knew he would stop, yes. He didn’t know he would announce it here and now. But since he was asked the question and everything was “clear in (his) head”, DD went without further ado.
IN MARCH, EVERYTHING WILL TURN AROUND HIM
Didier Deschamps believes he has served his time and the wear and tear of power, like the painful year 2024, are not unrelated to his observation. But the finish line is not for tomorrow. Because the most successful coach in the history of the Blues still has some challenges to overcome. In chronological order: winning a new Nations League, qualifying for the World Cup, and, why not, winning another planetary title in the heart of summer 2026. Copious program, with a dessert that we would describe as rich.
By announcing that he would hand over the reins to someone else in eighteen months, the former captain of the Blues played a card that he had never taken out of his game during his tenure. And we don’t know if it is an asset at this time.
Everyone will have an opinion on the question: this will “liberate everyone”, judges Philippe Diallo who is in his role as president of the FFF. This decision will allow Deschamps to regain control and his voice will once again be heard by his executives, for some. Or, on the contrary, after a laborious year, this announcement will erode his authority, others think. In short, there are probably as many opinions as there are potential coaches in France. Namely: 68 million.
The truth is that no one is able to be certain of the consequences of the unexpected media outing of the boss of the Blues. It won’t pollute the first gathering of the year, next March? It probably won’t reoxygenate it either. Because the questions to the coach, from the day of the list, will revolve around him and not his players (whoever they may be), even less around France – Croatia, quarter-final of the League of Nations of which all world, or almost, doesn’t care. Every move made by the coach will then be watched on the pitch at the Pierre-Pibarot pitch in Clairefontaine, during the first training session open to the press. And so on.
JACQUET AND HIDALGO, THE MODELS?
The future is all the more unpredictable as the situation is unusual in the history, at least modern, of the French team. Jacques Santini had certainly announced that he would leave the Blues at the end of Euro 2004. But he had revealed it during the preparation camp. And, without insulting the former Stéphanois, he did not enjoy the same natural authority as Didier Deschamps. His predecessor, Roger Lemerre, had extended his contract before the fiasco of 2002 and had little desire to leave his office at the FFF when he was asked to pack his boxes.
Didier Deschamps and Kylian Mbappé
Credit: Getty Images
In the end, the destiny of Aimé Jacquet, even of Michel Hidalgo, is the one that is closest to Didier Deschamps. Jacquet had announced that he would leave the Blues to someone else in March 1998, and we knew that the second would end his lease after Euro 1984. On arrival, the two pioneers of the French victory left the stage the very large door. This is all the bad that 68 million selectors and 23 players wish DD today. And nostalgia has little to do with it this time.
