Didier Deschamps delivered an emotional farewell address on the eve of his final match as France manager, declaring that the national team is “the most beautiful thing that has happened to me” as he prepares to lead Les Bleus against England in tomorrow’s third-place play-off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Deschamps will stand in the dugout for the last time on Saturday, bringing down the curtain on a 14-year tenure that produced a World Cup triumph in 2018 and a runners-up finish in 2022.
“I feel my responsibility regarding the match. It’s not a friendly,” Deschamps said. “It’s not the one we would have preferred, but it’s here. There is third place at stake, so I have a duty, along with my staff and the players, to do everything to achieve this final objective, which is perhaps certainly less important.
“It’s scheduled, there is an objective, so there you go. That’s what’s occupying my mind. When there’s a victory and smiles and joy, those are wonderful moments.
“When that’s not the case, it’s less pleasant, but you have to accept it. Going out was certainly partly our fault, meaning the technical area, and it’s also undoubtedly due to the quality of this Spanish team, which raised the bar. You have to accept it. There is this match ahead of us, and then a holiday. They need it.”
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‘He gritted his teeth’
The physical toll of Tuesday’s defeat extended well beyond the scoreline. William Saliba was withdrawn after just 30 minutes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, replaced by Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix, having been unable to continue with the back problem that has been managed throughout the tournament.
Reports have since emerged that the Arsenal defender could require surgery ahead of the new season, and Deschamps was candid about the scale of what Saliba has been carrying.
“William Saliba’s injury is problematic. Tests were done. His injury hasn’t worsened. He has had that, unfortunately for him, since March, so he managed it, he gritted his teeth. And at one point, the pain, unfortunately for him and for us, was at a degree that was not bearable.”
Deschamps also addressed the impact that Adrien Rabiot’s yellow card situation had on his thinking and on France’s performance against Spain, drawing on his own experience as a player in similar circumstances.
“Then comes Adrien. At the first cooling break, he came to see me and said, ‘Coach, I can’t play normally anymore. I can’t play my game anymore.’ Excuse me for being able to understand because I was a player and I found myself in two semi-final situations with a yellow card over my head.
“Today, that’s not the case because it’s cleared. I told him, ‘Manage it, avoid leaving your foot trailing because that can lead to…’ There was one action where it was a close call. I played those matches but I was a shadow of myself, because you’ve always got the handbrake on, the sword of Damocles over your head.
“Could I have done things differently? Yes, but I don’t know how it would have gone. It’s been a long time since I asked myself the question of ‘what if?’ I did it, I made choices based on what I thought at the time with the elements, my experience and taking into account everything I knew. Afterwards, that leaves room for interpretation, there you go.”
Mbappe and Olise assessed
On the fitness of Kylian Mbappe, Deschamps was added: “He is available.” The France captain goes into the third-place match tied with Lionel Messi on eight goals, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham on six each.
“There are always motivational levers, but Kylian doesn’t need a lever,” Deschamps said. “It’s better to finish third than fourth. We are going to do everything to make sure we achieve this objective, and Kylian will as captain, too.”
The France manager also offered an assessment of Michael Olise, who struggled to impose himself on the semi-final against Spain.
“He wasn’t at his best level, like other players. I spoke at length with him, without entering into secrets. He still has, despite everything, a margin for progression.
“What he is capable of doing today compared to what he used to do? Will he be better? Of course he will be even better. Is Desire Doue, who is a formidable player at 21 years old, who is playing his first World Cup, going to benefit from this? Of course. It all depends on the characters and the personalities, too.”
‘The most beautiful thing that has happened to me’
Deschamps was at his most emotional when addressing the significance of Saturday as the final chapter of his international career, which began when he took the role in 2012 after the exit of Laurent Blanc.
“We have to play and respect the game. Undoubtedly, if there wasn’t this match to play, it would be better for England and for us, but it’s the World Cup and there is the third place as an objective, and we are going to do everything to achieve this final objective.
“How many teams went home? There were 44 before the semi-finals, so we’re here. We don’t have the match that we wanted and hoped to have, but we have one.
“There is a duty when you wear this jersey. I’ve said it since 2012. It’s there because there is a responsibility to wear this jersey for the millions of Frenchmen and Frenchwomen who are behind us, who were thrilled, who were disappointed, and for the young generation.
“I know very well that the final curtain is tomorrow. Without making anyone cry, I don’t think anyone is going to cry here, I know that the French national team is going to miss me.
“But I had the privilege for 15 years to be up there with this jersey, experiencing magnificent moments and more difficult moments. Then life goes on and I don’t know what it will be made of, but I am of a positive nature. I know it will be good too.
“The French national team, with everything that it can entail, in my professional life is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me, and it took 25 years of my life. 25 years of a man’s life, of a woman’s, it leaves a mark, and it leaves an even greater mark because there remain unforgettable memories. But the important thing is always ahead of you.”
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