Four months after his very last outing as coach of the France team, during the 3rd place match for the 2026 World Cup lost against England (4-6), on July 18 in Miami, Didier Deschamps perhaps has a chance of being approached by a major European club, namely Manchester United. After his reign of almost 14 years at the head of the Blues, “La Dèche” imagines himself enjoying a sabbatical year before resuming in 2027.
Can the XXL challenge that Man United represents bring them back to the forefront? It’s not certain. The 1998 and 2026 world champion (as captain and then coach) has never been very attracted to the tumultuous Premier League. Deschamps, 58, could further pursue his coaching career at the head of a national team or in Serie A and La Liga. The English championship is, by far, the most competitive in the world and the coaches who are successful there in recent times are very great managers (which Deschamps can be) or avant-garde strategists (which Deschamps is not).
Pochettino, new competitor to Deschamps?
After the Red Devils’ cataclysmic start to the season, winners of a single match in 10 days of the championship (for a current 18th relegation place!), the club’s leaders decided to dismiss Michael Carrick at the start of the international break. Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, respectively general manager and director of football, are traveling to Monaco this Tuesday to meet Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the co-owner of the Old Trafford residents (in charge of running the club at the expense of the Glazer family). Unless there is a thunderbolt, the Carrick page will be turned.
The thinking heads of Man United have, however, advanced on two coaches other than Deschamps in recent weeks: the Englishman Eddie Howe, the former manager of Bournemouth and Newcastle, and the German Julian Nagelsmann, a tactical genius who did not convince at Bayern then at the head of the Mannschaft. Mauricio Pochettino, who still leads the United States selection, would also be very appreciated. Then come Antonio Conte and Didier Deschamps among the coaches expected on the other side of the Channel.
