Didier Deschamps caused a real earthquake on Tuesday. By announcing in an interview with the 1 p.m. news on TF1 which will be broadcast this Wednesday at noon his decision to leave his post as French coach at the end of the 2026 World Cup, the former Marseillais took everyone by surprise . And the timing was undoubtedly even more surprising than his announcement itself.
“Frankly, I don’t really understand the timing, said Didier Deschamps at the microphone of Apolline Malherbe, on RMC. The Euro was not necessarily exceptional even if we made a half but in the game and in the image, things did not please the French. But announcing it a year and a half before the end of his contract, I don’t see the point other than finding a little peace with the press and avoiding the recurring questions at each gathering: ‘is- what are you going to leave? Do the players always understand your speech, do you still want to coach?’ »
The French team in danger?
“Knowing Didier Deschamps, if it’s just to gain this media peace, he has really changed, he added before worrying about the repercussions of this announcement on the performance of the France team at the 2026 World Cup: “For me, this is not good news. Even if it’s to focus a group for qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.”
“To play a World Cup and experience the atmosphere of a collective and play for a win, everyone has to be united. When you know that the coach’s contract ends at the end of this competition, I’m not sure that’s the best thing, he underlined, evoking the precedent Jacques Santini, who had announced before Euro 2004 his departure for Tottenham after the tournament: “It’s complicated because the high level is about details, even more so to win this kind of competition. The details are also solidarity and a speech from the coach which must be followed by everyone. I felt (in 2004) players were demobilized, a little elsewhere because the speech went over their heads. You are not immune to having a bad surprise. »
And Jérôme Rothen is all the more worried about the repercussions of this announcement as the question of his successor will arise. “He (Deschamps) wants to have peace of mind and we are already planning to see whether Sir Zidane will sign in a year and a half, it’s incredible. he said again. This is very bad news. We wouldn’t even understand if Philippe Diallo, president of the FFF, doesn’t already appoint someone. »
