The casting is royal, the charitable intention laudable, and the poster promised a memorable reunion. In Cannes, Zidane, Vieira, Deschamps and other figures of French football are announced for “Cannes Legends”. But a shadow appears in the light: the absence of Johan Micoud, child of the house, former manager at the club and influential media voice. A decision which nourishes the idea of ​​a very real unease around the presence of Didier Deschamps.
Because the context fools no one: Micoud will not be on the pitch for this symbolic meeting, even though most of the big figures of the Croisette club are present. It's hard not to see a desire to avoid a two-person scene, in the heart of a stadium nostalgic for the Cannes years. The timing and the place reinforce the significance of the gesture: in the city which launched Zidane – and crossed the trajectories of Deschamps and Micoud – the absence of the latter resonates like a message.
This “no” is part of a story. For years, Micoud has publicly contested Deschamps' football at the head of the Blues: play considered too cautious, lack of offensive intentions, collective plan difficult to read during meetings without major issues. Episodes stood out: the long pro-Benzema plea before his return, the televised battles over aesthetics versus efficiency, and repeated positions after matches perceived as dull despite the results.
Micoud snubs Deschamps: unease grows in Cannes
Opposite, Deschamps has always opposed his line: the culture of results, the management of the group, the art of optimizing the forces of the moment. His responses, often measured but firm, nourished the duel of ideas without ever personalizing it head-on. The fact remains that, in public opinion, this rivalry of visions has become a soap opera.
At a time when Cannes is bringing together its legends, the absence of Micoud changes the dramaturgy. She avoids the common photo but revives the debate. Symbolic gesture or simple unavailability? Everyone will judge. In the field of perceptions, one certainty: the conflict of ideas between Micoud and Deschamps continues to write its scenes… even when one chooses not to enter the scene.
