France will face England in the World Cup third-place play-off early tomorrow Beijing time, and Didier Deschamps will step down as national team manager after the match. According to L'Equipe, the game against England will be the final chapter of his 14-year spell in charge and his 185th official match at the helm.
Deschamps is the longest-serving manager in the history of the French national team. He is also one of only three figures in world football to have won the World Cup as both a player and a coach, alongside Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer.
During his time with France, Deschamps led the team through seven major international tournaments, won the 2018 World Cup, reached three finals, and guided Les Bleus into the semi-finals in five of their last six major tournaments. At this World Cup, France were beaten 2-0 by Spain in the semi-finals, an exit that left many feeling disappointed.
Throughout his tenure, Deschamps was constantly surrounded by debate. Critics accused him of being too defensive and overly pragmatic, yet when he changed shape and tried to play more attacking football, he was also heavily criticized. Whether he deployed two or three defensive midfielders, questions always followed, reflecting how difficult the role is to satisfy everyone. He is widely seen as a conservative coach, but between every two World Cups he has refreshed around half of the squad and remained willing to give young players experience on the biggest stage.
In the end, it was not Deschamps who was worn down by 14 years in charge, but rather the public that grew tired of the familiar image. France's style of play, his public manner, and his earlier private agreement with former federation president Noel Le Graet over a contract extension all fueled doubts from outsiders about whether national-team resources were being informally handed over. Past tournament results also came under fire, with the penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland in the last 16 of Euro 2021 standing as the most painful loss of his spell.
Many famous managers chose to leave at the top. Michel Hidalgo stepped down after Euro 1984, while Aime Jacquet left after winning the 1998 World Cup. Deschamps, however, chose to stay until now. Even if he is not regarded as the most tactically brilliant coach, his overall achievement in national-team planning and squad management is enough to place him among the very best managers in France's history.