2018 was a brilliant year for French football – and for Didier Deschamps.
20 years after being captain of France in honor of the World Cup at home, the Frenchman Jules Rimet lifted the trophy as manager and joined Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer as the only men to achieve such an achievement.
It was the undeniable peak of Deschamp’s leadership career. He supervised a voluptuous and passionate group of players, drilled with fantastic tactical precision and sent them out to dominate the 2018 World Cup.
He was even an innovator. Playing Blaise Matuidi to the left of his sloping midfield enabled him to make the most of Paul Pogba’s creativity and a wide-eyed, eager to impress Kylain Mbappe’s pace around the ominous Antoine Griezmann and goalkeeper Olivier Giroud.
It was perfection, and it won.
But three years later, and the story is different. The squad’s mentality has changed, as have Deschamp’s tactical ideas.
Didier Deschamps lifts WC 2018 / Pacific Press / Getty Images
In the three years since the triumphant summer, France has spoken to systems and forms as their opposition has learned how to deal with Deschamps’ once impossible playing field. Results such as a 2-0 loss to Turkey in June 2019, a 2-0 defeat to Finland in November 2020 and uninspiring and sluggish victories against teams like Moldova and Kazakhstan have continually shown a lack of ideas – and the problem has simply not solved.
Deschamps also has a group in a different setting than three years ago. They are now masters, not hunters.
Mbappe is no longer a future star, but rather already a global sensation. Even before a ball was kicked to Euro 2020, it was clear that the ego of the Paris Saint-Germain forward was much bigger than it was in Russia and caused some disharmony among the camp.
France’s lack of pace and imagination in most of the matches they played for the year before this summer’s European Championships had also led to Deschamps making a big deal: Karim Benzema was reintroduced to the camp. Let’s not get it twisted, the Real Madrid star clearly wanted to inspire his teammates to victory and was happy to be with, but it really did not help the harmony of the squad.
Kylian Mbappe spat a bit with Olivier Giroud before Euro 2020 / Catherine Steenkeste / Getty Images
A melting pot of bad brands before Euro 2020 culminated in their 16-year-old with Switzerland. In the absence of both Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne, Deschamps made one of the most costly decisions of his leadership career.
Instead of playing a natural right-back on the left and staying in the formation his squad had prepared for, the France boss decided to change systems completely – playing midfielder turned right-back Benjamin Pavard on right-back and central midfielder Adrein Rabiot on opposite side, while Clement Lenglet – who had not played for Les Bleus since March – right into the heart of the defense.
The France boss had decided to switch to a form that had not worked for the team the three previous times they had tried it since 2018, against a Swiss side using it as their primary system, in a major tournament knockout game.
It was a move that showed Deschamp’s lack of ideas and connection to his group. It was a move that made the French players look even more lost, depressed and without direction or collective purpose than they had before. It was a move that called on Switzerland to eventually register a massive shock result.
After a 3-3 draw for 120 minutes, Yann Sommer secured a 5-4 penalty win by saving Mbappe’s spot-kick – seems ironic, right?
Yann Sommer was Switzerland’s hero against France / Marcio Machado / Getty Images
As Gary Neville put it in the ITV studio, France’s entire Euro 2020 campaign was an embarrassment.
And it’s time for a change. With Zinedine Zidane awaiting the next challenge and having previously revealed his desire to manage his country, there is an obvious successor. A successor who has already led star-studded and ego-filled troops in honor (especially three consecutive Champions League titles at Real Madrid) and a successor who also knows what it is like to win big tournaments for France.
The general consensus among French fans is that Zizou would be welcomed with open arms – and a big kiss on each cheek – but for Deschamps it could and should be …
The end.
