Everyone was waiting for the reaction of the Blues last night at the Stade de France against Croatia in a remake of the 2018 World Cup final. With Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé present at kick-off, the supporters were confident and thought see the selection catch up after the first 3 missed games. Unfortunately, it was another failure for Didier Deschamps and his band, who lose 1 to 0 and find themselves last in their League of Nations group. An unworthy poor performance for the world champions who will have to ask themselves the right questions a few months before the next world championship in Qatar.
Asked after the meeting, the coach pointed to the lack of physical freshness of his team at first. “The organizations have been very busy. We lacked energy and character even if it hurts. I didn’t have the usual strength and energy to pass on to them.”, admits Dylan’s father, before discussing his own case. When a journalist asks him if he is going to have a bad vacation, Didier Deschamps looks back on the very complicated last weeks he has experienced. “Yes. I would have had a bad vacation anyway, but that’s personal. It’s a bad time”, he lets go.
You have to appreciate the good times. Nothing pisses me off more than losing, even if it’s just football
Very touched by the recent death of his father Pierre, the 53-year-old coach had to leave the Blues rally on May 31 to go to his family in the Basque Country. Income bruised by the loss of his father, Didier Deschamps tries despite everything to put things into perspective. “It can happen too. You have to appreciate the good times. Nothing pisses me off more than losing, even if it’s just football”he concludes.
A painful end to the season for Claude’s husband, who is going through very complicated times on a personal and professional level. A few months before a World Cup where France will necessarily be among the favorites, Didier Deschamps is not at his best and he will need a little rest before this big deadline.