Rome, 19 July (LaPresse) – “It was a very unusual day, even though my staff and I were focused on preparing for the match. Finishing third would have been better, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible after a disastrous first half. I felt a bit frustrated.” So said Didier Deschamps at his final press conference as manager of the French national team, following Saturday’s 4–6 defeat to England in the third-place play-off. “With pride and determination, we almost moved an insurmountable mountain. The second half is more representative of the French national team, of what this squad has been capable of in this World Cup: playing good football, scoring plenty of goals, with Kylian Mbappé leading the side. There’s great disappointment after this third-place play-off, but we were up against a better team,” he added. “It was then that, for the first time, I thought: ‘This is the last time I’ll do this.’ I’ve received lots of messages, but two or three of them brought me to tears. Don’t ask me who or why, because these are people who mean a great deal to me. It’s the end of something that represented the very best. I started in 2012, putting the French national team above everything else. I ended by telling them the same thing. They may go on to play for the biggest clubs in the world, but there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, better than this. I’m proud to have served them for so long – perhaps even too long for some – and to have left this team at the top, even if certainly not on the top step of the podium. I wish them all the best and continued success. I feel I’ve given a lot. I’ve had some incredible moments talking to them during this tournament. And now, it’s over,” he concluded.
Deschamps bids farewell to France: “It’s over now; I’ve had some incredible moments”
Rome, 19 July (LaPresse) – “It was a very unusual day, even though my staff and I were focused on preparing for the match. Finishing third would have been better, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible after a disastrous first half. I felt a bit frustrated.” So said Didier Deschamps at his final press conference as manager of the French national team, following Saturday’s 4–6 defeat to England in the third-place play-off. “With pride and determination, we almost moved an insurmountable mountain. The second half is more representative of the French national team, of what this squad has been capable of in this World Cup: playing good football, scoring plenty of goals, with Kylian Mbappé leading the side. There’s great disappointment after this third-place play-off, but we were up against a better team,” he added. “It was then that, for the first time, I thought: ‘This is the last time I’ll do this.’ I’ve received lots of messages, but two or three of them brought me to tears. Don’t ask me who or why, because these are people who mean a great deal to me. It’s the end of something that represented the very best. I started in 2012, putting the French national team above everything else. I ended by telling them the same thing. They may go on to play for the biggest clubs in the world, but there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, better than this. I’m proud to have served them for so long – perhaps even too long for some – and to have left this team at the top, even if certainly not on the top step of the podium. I wish them all the best and continued success. I feel I’ve given a lot. I’ve had some incredible moments talking to them during this tournament. And now, it’s over,” he concluded.
