France Coach Didier Deschamps Back with Team
France coach Didier Deschamps has returned to the team after attending his mother's funeral in Europe, and is now preparing for the round of 32 match against Sweden on Tuesday. This comes after France's advancement from the group stage, following their win over Iraq on June 22.
Deschamps was absent from the team's victory over Norway on Friday, but has now rejoined Les Bleus. As he reflected on his return, Deschamps stated, 'I’m here. I’m good, and it’s good to be busy since Friday evening when I arrived back in the United States,' through a translator.
France made history by sweeping their group matches for the first time since 1998, a feat also achieved by Argentina and Mexico. If they overcome Sweden, they will face either Germany or Paraguay in the round of 16 as they pursue their third World Cup title, after their victories in 1998 and 2018.
Deschamps expressed the difficulty of his situation, saying, 'For me, it was very difficult. And for me and for the French national team, it was important that I left. They did what they had to do,' and added, 'And now we’re preparing a competition within the competition.' Assistant Guy Stéphan led the team to a 4-1 win over Norway during Deschamps' absence.
The team's midfielder, Adrien Rabiot, acknowledged the challenge of Deschamps' absence, saying, 'It was somewhat of a shock,' through a translator. Rabiot continued, 'He completely trusted in us and we delivered in the best way possible. We’re happy that he’s back. I don't think that it’s so easy to have to grieve in these conditions. This is football, and now we have the World Cup, and it is the way it is.'
Deschamps, who coached France to the 2018 title and the 2022 final, is aiming to become the second coach to win two World Cup titles, after Italy's Vittorio Pozzo. Rabiot observed that Deschamps' return has brought a sense of determination, saying, 'Didier came back with the willpower to go as far as possible in this World Cup. It is something that, of course, will also help him to forget a little bit about these tragic events,' and noted, 'He smiled a lot. He tried to be enthusiastic, although I know that he’s very affected by his grief. I think he’s trying not to show it, not to transmit any negative to the squad.'
