Didier Deschamps’ last words on his departure from the France team were surprising. By denouncing “an environment that has become unbreathable”the former coach lifted the veil on an increasingly complicated relationship with the FFF, particularly since the arrival of Philippe Diallo as president. A divide which, according to RMC Sportwould have started to widen from the American tour in March 2026. While criticism of the play of the France team fueled the public debate, Deschamps had the feeling of losing the support he had enjoyed until then within the FFF.
The extension of his contract until 2026, decided by Noël Le Graët in January 2023, had offered him a certain stability. With the new governance embodied by Philippe Diallo, the coach would have felt more exposed, to the point of announcing in January 2025 that he would leave his post after the 2026 World Cup in order to calm the climate. An interview given by Diallo, in which he already mentioned the choice of the future coach, would also have been very poorly received by the main person concerned.
A spat between Kylian Mbappé and Philippe Diallo
And during the World Cup, several decisions by the Federation would have significantly accelerated tensions. The request to install a cryotherapy device, considered essential to cope with the extreme American heat, was initially refused for budgetary reasons before finally being accepted after an intervention by Kylian Mbappé. The trip of the executive committee of the FFF, estimated at nearly 120,000 euros, also raised eyebrows. While the leaders traveled in privileged conditions, the players’ families would have been treated less well, fueling a feeling of incomprehension within the French group. These disagreements even gave rise to several particularly tense exchanges between Didier Deschamps and Erwan Le Prévost, deputy general director of the FFF.
And tensions also manifested themselves around bonuses. According to The Teamduring a lunch organized at the Élysée before leaving for the United States, Philippe Diallo reportedly announced that bonuses would only be paid upon qualification for the semi-finals, unlike previous competitions. A decision which would have provoked a firm response from Kylian Mbappé, reminding the president that it was his first World Cup at the head of the Federation, while the players knew the importance of each stage of such a tournament. During the competition, relations between Didier Deschamps’ staff and federal leaders remained particularly cold, despite cohabitation within the same hotel. The ex-coach’s declarations on this unbreathable environment thus confirmed this rupture which was gradually built up.
