After Deschamps announced that he would leave the team after the 2026 World Cup, journalist Duroc from L'Équipe wrote, "This is a beautiful decision and a good opportunity for the French team!" Why are French media happy about Deschamps' departure after coaching the French team for 14 years?
Became a Target After the European Championship
After the French Football Federation announced the renewal of the contract with the French team in 2023, this decision triggered huge controversy. When asked if they had considered Zidane, French Football Federation President Le Graët said, "We have never considered letting Deschamps leave. Zidane will definitely not coach the French team, and I won't even answer his call."
Le Graët's remarks aroused public outrage, and French Sports Minister Castella even said, "Such disrespectful remarks are too disgraceful, offending this football legend and all of us."
At the same time, Le Graët's remarks also put more pressure on Deschamps. However, France's performance at the 2024 European Championship was quite mediocre, ending in the semi-finals, while the French team only scored 4 goals in 6 European Championship matches, including 2 own goals and 1 penalty kick, creating a new low in international tournament goal scoring in 12 years.
With attacking players such as Mbappé, Griezmann, Mouani, and Dembélé, the French team averaged only 9.5 shots per game, far lower than other title contenders. After the European Cup elimination, L'Équipe pointed out, "Deschamps' conservative tactics are outdated, and the French team needs to change."
In fact, at the post-match press conference, a reporter sharply asked, "Your contract still has 2 years left, what do you expect will happen next?"
Griezmann Storms Off
Surprisingly, Deschamps later broke relations with two core players, Griezmann and Mbappé. In September, Griezmann announced his withdrawal from the national team, one reason being that after Lloris left the national team in March 2023, Deschamps handed the captain's armband to Mbappé instead of Griezmann.
As a recognized leader both on and off the field for the French team, Griezmann has always been seen as a hot candidate for the French captaincy. However, after discussing with Griezmann and Mbappé, Deschamps chose the latter, which made Griezmann very dissatisfied, but he accepted this decision.
At the 2024 European Championship, Griezmann performed poorly because he was not adapting to his new position, which led to him not starting in the semi-finals. In the September Nations League match against Italy, Griezmann, who played as an attacking midfielder, was criticized by the media again, which became the fuse for Griezmann's withdrawal from the national team.
Griezmann's departure also affected Deschamps, with journalist Depret revealing, "Griezmann and Deschamps have a very good relationship. The latter has always stated that Griezmann is his favorite player, which is well-known in the locker room. Something did indeed happen with Griezmann, which also affected Deschamps."
Rift with Mbappé
Even more surprisingly, Deschamps later broke relations with Mbappé. In October and November, Mbappé was not called up to the French national team. If October was still Mbappé taking the initiative to take leave, then by November, it was Deschamps who proactively rejected Mbappé.
In an interview, Deschamps said, "I have communicated with Mbappé several times, and after careful consideration, I made this decision. I can tell you two things: first, Mbappé wants to come to the national team, and second, this has nothing to do with off-field incidents."
It is worth noting that as the head coach of the French team, Deschamps voted for Vinicius as the best player in the world instead of Mbappé. Famous journalist Latour analyzed, "Considering the season's performance, Deschamps' vote may be understandable. But considering his position, this is very surprising. I'm not sure if Mbappé and those around him will be satisfied with Deschamps' choice." Journalist Molina even revealed, "He will not step into Clairefontaine again because his relationship with Deschamps has dropped to freezing point."
Tactical conservatism leading to poor results and criticism from the media and fans, coupled with strained relationships with two core players Griezmann and Mbappé, Deschamps' departure is not surprising. On the contrary, Zidane's arrival will smoothly solve the two problems of tactics and relations with Mbappé, which is also why Duroc believes that Deschamps' departure is good news for the French team.