Why Didier Deschamps looks grim before the Blues’ match against Israel

You can display on your CV the best track record in French football, having broken the record for longevity at the head of the Blues but experiencing areas of turbulence. “If there was a slightly more serene environment, it would be better for the French team,” Didier Deschamps even admitted to the press when announcing his list for the matches against Israel (Thursday October 10) and Belgium (Monday October 14). In terms of serenity, we will come back.

Because “Grizou” played a bad trick on him

No one saw coming the international retirement of Antoine Griezmann, pillar of the France team for a decade and soul of the Deschamps era. An announcement with curious timing, a Monday morning, three days before the announcement of a list for the matches against Israel and Belgium. According to the program “Téléfoot”, “Grizou” had already wanted to take the field with Deschamps in 2019, but the coach had made the trip to Madrid to convince him to continue in the selection.

A few weeks before this announcement, number 7 of the Blues assured on TF1 that “desire [était] always there”with the ambition to push until the 2026 World Cup, organized in North America. “It’s his choice and it makes him feel good to have made that choice”kicked Didier Deschamps into touch, warned a few hours before the announcement by Antoine Griezmann. “DD” refused to see a link with the player’s downgrading with the Blues.

During the Euro, Antoine Griezmann had in fact been moved from position to position, until ending up on the bench during the semi-final lost against Spain (1-2), yet another snake swallowed by the striker of Atlético Madrid, already affected by not having been named captain to the detriment of Kylian Mbappé. “That he could have had a temporary disappointment, that’s for sure”tempered the coach. “It affected him”replied Olivier Giroud, another prestigious retiree, and close to Antoine Griezmann.

Because he was forced to spare Kylian Mbappé

The other leader of the France team has also made headlines in recent days. Officially convalescing, the Real Madrid striker played two matches in four days with his club, while being exempt from the French team. From there to seeing a takeover of power by the clubs over the selection, there is only one step. In an interview published on the FFF’s social networks, Didier Deschamps seemed to endorse the downgrading of the national team: “We must also remember that the employer is the club. It is not the federation.”

An almost resigned observation which contrasts with the coach’s comments. “There is nothing above the national team. This blue-white-red jersey is sacred”he argued in The Parisian after the world title of 2018. Two years earlier, in the magazine The Elephanthe established the “moral contract” between the internationals and the Federation as a dogma: “You may be the best player at the best professional club, but there is nothing more beautiful than playing – and winning – in the European Championship or the World Cup.”

This course of action pushed him in 2019 to stand up to the biggest clubs in the world, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, who wanted to spare Lucas Hernandez and… Kylian Mbappé (already) in the selection. “The clubs must not think that they are going to put a little pressure on me, whatever it may be”retorted, bravado, the coach. The discourse has radically changed today.

Because the proposed game does not excite the crowds

While waiting for the coach’s announcement, no name really emerges to put on the captain’s armband in the (long-term) absence of Antoine Griezmann and (temporary) of Kylian Mbappé. The two natural candidates, Adrien Rabiot and Aurélien Tchouaméni, are still in precarious physical shape and have neither the experience nor the aura of their predecessors. An artistic blur which is found on the tactics and the laborious background of play proposed by French footballers for many months.

For a long time, we spent a lot of time on the Blues on the altar of results, but their soporific Euro with a goal scored in the game to reach the semi-final without completely convincing ended up tiring even their most ardent supporters. “It’s very annoying to watch, but that’s how it is, it makes you win”recognized Antoine Griezmann. Contrary to his usual, Didier Deschamps did not take the time to debrief the big competition with a media during the summer.

According to RMC and The Teamsome players even spoke out to question the coach’s game plan at the beginning of September, after the rout against Italy (1-3). An extremely rare occurrence under the reign of Didier Deschamps, renowned as a fine manager. A slight improvement was observed against Belgium (2-0) and requires confirmation during the next meetings.

Because the Federation no longer has a captain

It is perhaps not entirely a coincidence that the ship rocks when its captain is busy campaigning. Philippe Diallo, initially interim successor to Noël Le Graët, is campaigning for a four-year mandate, and while waiting for his legitimacy to be fully established, his words carry less weight. Even though he called for “preserve national selections” and to “find a balance” with the clubs, some of them like Real Madrid being involved in seven competitions (and pushing its players called up by other selections to call in sick). “We must convince the entire world of football that coming to the national team is an honor”he admitted.

It will take more for Didier Deschamps to feel under pressure. In ten years in office, he has experienced lows and some gratinated extra-sporting crises (the sex tape affair, the fall of Noël Le Graët, etc.) and has always been able to bounce back: “The function I have is always exposed, he admitted a few days ago. I live with it. There are things that can be pleasant, others less so when they are not factual things that are not reality, but I am not going to waste energy on that.“