Who wasn’t missing from France: world footballer Karim Benzema, superstar Paul Pogba, plus chief clearer N’Golo Kanté and Christopher Nkunku too. National coach Didier Deschamps reshuffled and did everything right: Reaching the final again on Sunday (December 18, 2022, 4 p.m., live on Erste and on sportschau.de) against Argentina is his masterpiece.
Staying with yourself, with what made you strong, is very often very good advice in football. Morocco’s coach had a different idea in the semifinals. His team had set standards in terms of defensive stability in this World Cup tournament and had only been defeated by a single own goal, although the opponents were Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal, among others. Nevertheless, Walid Regragui suddenly changed his tactics against the French, switched to a five-man line and thus signaled his opponent a great deal of respect. That would not have happened to Deschamps.
Not always nice football
Deschamps is a master at getting the most out of his players’ opportunities. Even if it doesn’t always look nice, sometimes it’s downright ugly in the face of such spectacular players as Kylian Mbappé or Ousmane Dembélé. France’s football isn’t rousing football, but it’s extremely effective, goal-oriented and successful. That’s why Deschamps can write football history on Sunday: Only one coach before him managed to become world champion twice, that was the Italian Vittorio Pozzo, 1934 and 1938. Deschamps triumphed in Russia in 2018 and also won the title in 1998 as a player.
His coaching record is outstanding. In 139 international matches, he has an average of 2.13 points per game. Under him, France conceded only 122 goals and he has only lost two games in three World Cups: in 2014 in the quarter-finals 0-1 against Germany and now in Qatar in the third group game with 0-1 against Tunisia, when progress was already certain. Since Deschamps the team was more important, he wanted to reward players with missions that otherwise only keep the level of training high.
United in celebration: the French players after scoring 2-0 against Morocco.
Many egos but one team
Through such measures, too, he managed to weld this team with many strong egos together into a community. In which, even after a 1-0 lead against Morocco, everyone continues to work with great concentration instead of wanting to shine personally. In which a Dembélé makes the way backwards and Olivier Giroud with Antoine Griezmann in front in a continuous loop run into the opponents and disrupt the build-up of the game. And in which, after the end of the game, substitutes, supervisors, coaching staff and regular players chase each other through a trellis, pinch each other, give each other light taps on the back of the head like children in the schoolyard. This also expresses the team spirit of this team that used to be so divided.
Griezmann is a good example of Deschamps’ brilliant coaching. Because the front line with Mbappé, Giroud and Dembélé seems more dangerous to him, he converted the 100 million player from Atlético Madrid into a ten when in possession of the ball and against the ball into an eight – with great benefit for “Les Bleus“: Griezmann is suddenly the pacemaker, strategist, pressing trigger and pacemaker.
France internationals walk through the line of team officials.
With tears in the eyes
His critics have often told Deschamps that he can sometimes seem like a machine. However, after the semi-final against Morocco he was seen walking the pitch with tears in his eyes and he later admitted: “Maybe I’m a little emotional, but above all I’m proud. That was another very important and huge match today, now there’s one last one. We’ve been together for a month and rock this tournament together, that’s never easy. It It’s been great luck so far, my players are rewarding themselves. Now of course we’re aiming for the title.”
He doesn’t seem to feel any stress or pressure, or at least doesn’t let it get to him. His past also helps him in this: “I’m still a bit of a player, I appreciate and enjoy every moment of the day. It will take a little more time to understand all of this. It’s not easy to put down. In four days it’s all about the World Cup for us again -Title – that’s great.”
Macron orders contract extension
So great that right after the 2-0 win against the Moroccans the topic of extending the contract came up – the current contract expires at the end of the year. Deschamps can decide about his future himself, there is no other way to understand the words of his superiors: “It’s his decision, I hope he says yes“said the French association president Noël Le Graët immediately after the final whistle in an interview with the TV channel “L’Equipe“. “Finding a coach of this quality is not easy.”
The President sees it that way too. Of course, Emmanuel Macron did not let himself be taken away from the stage of the World Cup finals, also visited the players in the dressing room and then spoke a kind of power word: “This French team makes me very proud. We’re bringing the trophy home – and of course Deschamps has to stay!” Imagine if Angela Merkel had assumed something like that about Jogi Löw.