Deschamps targets World Cup final in last France tournament
Didier Deschamps will lead France into a World Cup semi-final against Spain on Tuesday in what will be the final tournament of his 14-year tenure, a period defined by extraordinary sporting success but unrelenting domestic pressure.
France face Spain on Tuesday at 20:00 BST for a place in the World Cup final. Victory would set up a match against either Argentina or England, providing the perfect conclusion to Deschamps' reign as national team manager.
The 57-year-old has led France for 14 years, delivering a World Cup trophy in 2018 and reaching the final again in 2022. However, according to former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, a friend of 13 years, his tenure has not received the domestic recognition it warrants.
"In France we have 67 million coaches trying to get the French team to win," Bartoli said. "It's not an easy job but he does it brilliantly. For me, he doesn't get the reward and the press he should get based on the extraordinary results, but that's France and he knows about it."
This intense public scrutiny has been compounded by recent personal grief. Deschamps temporarily left the team camp in the United States last month after his mother, Ginette, died on 23 June at the age of 86. He missed a 4-1 victory over Norway to attend her funeral.
Away from the pitch, the manager maintains his competitive instincts through padel, frequently playing with Bartoli's husband in Dubai and partnering with Zidane and Andres Iniesta. Despite the off-field distractions, Bartoli said Deschamps remains entirely focused on securing another global title.
"What he cares about is taking this generation to become world champions," she said. "They won in 2018, made the final in 2022, and he really wants to go out on a high now."
To achieve that, France must overcome a familiar hurdle in Spain. "Spain are going to be a tough opponent. He knows it. We lost to them in the Euros, so he wants to get revenge, absolutely," Bartoli noted.
Zinedine Zidane is widely tipped as Deschamps' successor, but Bartoli expects the current boss to eventually seek a new challenge, potentially in club football after taking a year off. "He absolutely wants to go out on a high and obviously winning would be the best," she said. "He is a true winner."
