Roger Lemerre did not find the words to change his position. While the Blues were busy celebrating their miraculous victory at the Euro following the success against Italy in the final thanks to a masterful volley from David Trezeguet, the coach had a long aside with Didier Deschamps in the central circle of the Kuip Stadium. At 31, the tireless midfielder of the France team had just decided to end his international career.
“ I knew that evening, in Rotterdam, the second the final whistle blew, that I would never experience something so strong.”,
he confided years later.
My decision was made. »
Roger Lemerre therefore tried to convince him to continue the adventure with the Blues. Not sure, however, that the speech given by the former deputy of Aimé Jacquet even shook the native of Bayonne in his certainties. “ The coach explained to me that there was better to date in my position, in the person of Patrick Vieira, but that he still needed me. So he asked me to play only one match out of three. There was no way I would accept,” smiled DD at the mention of this sequence twenty years later.
A 103rd and final selection
Sure of his choice, Didier Deschamps nevertheless waited until the end of August to confirm the end of his international career. The friendly match against England on September 2 will therefore be his 103rd and final match with the Blues. Particularly as a result of the criticism he was subjected to during the Euro. After a first friendly match against a Fifa selection in mid-August, the French captain, like Laurent Blanc and Bernard Lama – who had not planned to retire internationally, therefore bid farewell to the French team on the pitch at the Stade de France against the Three Lions.
After getting confused with Denis Wise then Paul Scholes, Didier Deschamps left shortly before the hour mark to give way to Patrick Vieira, designated as his successor in the French midfield. The opportunity for one last standing ovation before heading to the locker room. The midfielder didn’t even see Emmanuel Petit’s goal a few minutes later, even though the former Monegasque rushed to the bench to celebrate with the newly retired players. Didier Deschamps nevertheless returned to the pitch at the end of the match while England had just equalized thanks to Michael Owen at the very end of the match to receive his bouquet of flowers and a trophy. The end of a ten-year adventure which will resume twelve years later in the coach’s costume.
