There will be “emotion and celebration” in Lille on Monday as Didier Deschamps prepares for his last match as France manager on home soil. The 57-year-old, who became only the third man to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager when he led France to glory in 2018, will wave goodbye after the finals later this year.
Monday night’s friendly against Northern Ireland will bring an end to a 14-year tenure on home turf before Les Bleus head to the USA for the World Cup. “I can imagine the state of mind of Didier after all this time spent with the French team,” said midfielder Adrien Rabiot. “We’re all human beings, we have compassion, we have emotions and everything that comes along with it. The coach has done a great job with the French team and I hope that he will be celebrated, because he deserves it.”
“Didier Deschamps leads France on home soil for the final time before stepping down after the World Cup.”
Fans have already begun the tributes. In Thursday’s surprise 2-1 defeat by the Ivory Coast in Nantes, supporters held up cardboard cutouts bearing Deschamps’ image during the match. Deschamps, who also guided France to the 2016 European Championship final and the 2021 Nations League title, was grateful but kept his focus. “The tribute was nice, and even though it was during the match and the players were playing, I was trying to be focused on what’s happening on the field,” he said.
For the manager, the farewell is secondary to the team’s send-off. “Ever since I came in to camp, there’s lots of things that I’ve done for the last time, so I’m not trying to think about all these things. I’m not too sad, I’m not going to be happy about it. What’s important for me is beyond my personal case.”
France will face Senegal, Iraq and Norway in Group I at the USA World Cup, and Deschamps wants to soak up the positive energy from supporters before departure. “These two matches in France before we leave for the US, being close to the supporters and lots of the people who are not able to go to the US, we’re trying to get as much energy, trying to get as much good vibes from the supporters as we can, and these are positive things for the French team.” The night in Lille promises to be one of raw emotion for a manager who has shaped French football for over a decade.