Deschamps, juggler meets jigsaw puzzle solver

Didier Deschamps is a lot of things: a tenacious and tactically-astute defensive midfielder, a pragmatic, uncomplicated coach, and a world champion as both. Turns out, he’s also a great crisis manager.
He remained calm when Kylian Mbappe was embroiled in a feud with the French football federation, which saw the face of Les Bleus boycott the official photo shoots. He then brushed aside reports that Paul Pogba hired a witch doctor to put a spell on Mbappe. And he remained quiet when, days later, the national federation’s president was accused of sexual harassment.
As French football got swirled in all types of scandals and controversies in the weeks leading to the World Cup, Deschamps saw his players drop out of the tournament one one due to injuries – Ngolo Kante, Pogba, Karim Benzema, Chropher Nkuku… and when Lucas Hernandez was ruled out after the opening match against Australia, it felt like the 54-year-old himself might’ve to step out of retirement.

2 – Didier Deschamps is the fourth manager to lead a nation to back-to-back World Cup finals, after Vittorio Pozzo with Italy (1934, 1938), Carlos Bilardo with Argentina (1986, 1990), and Franz Beckenbauer with Germany (1986, 1990). Midas. pic.twitter.com/eauFEetYM4
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 14, 2022
“There is a climate out there that is not serene and calm,” Deschamps told The Athletic days before the World Cup. “But all is well.”
Les Bleus may have been Les Miserables off the field heading into Qatar but here they are, revelling in the philosophy of ‘Deschamps-ism’ to find themselves within touching dance of becoming only the third team to defend the World Cup after Brazil did it six decades ago.
Deschamps may not approve of the phrase named after him but it’s become the national team’s identity. France’s Class of 2022 has moved away from the ethos of the free-flowing Champagne football to become a team that’s low on risk, high on team spirit; conservative but still capable of individual moments of brilliance.
They’ve been far from perfect during this campaign, a fact Deschamps acknowledge after beating Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals. And unlike Russia 2018, haven’t been as dominant in Qatar. But they have seized their moments, largely due to timely in-game interventions Deschamps, whose priority also has been to ensure a positive atmosphere within the team.

Didier Deschamps
Got those substitutions spot on. The 54 year old captained France 🇫🇷 when they claimed the title on home soil in 1998.
Now will be aiming to make hory & win 🏆 twice and back to back as a coach. pic.twitter.com/Ft18xbFvuA
— Mimi Fawaz (@MimosaFawaz) December 14, 2022
‘Black, blanc, beur’ spirit
Togetherness has been a key pillar of Deschamps-ism. The France coach, having been a central figure in the ‘black, blanc, beur’ team (black, white, beur, a French term for North African immigrants) that won the World Cup in 1998, Deschamps realises the importance of team spirit in the four weeks of competition.
And that’s been one of their strengths. He took the focus off the negativity around his group and ensured the players travelled to the Gulf without the toxicity that scripted their downfall in the previous tournaments, most notably in 2010. “We have a lot of qualities, but also some great mental strength, and experience. I have also young players but there is a collective force that drives the whole group. In important games like tonight’s, that’s what makes the difference,” Deschamps said.
France’s head coach Didier Deschamps celebrates at the end of the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. France won 2-0 and will play Argentina in Sunday’s final. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
A master in the art of managing egos, not a small feat in the world of inflated egos, he’s ensured harmony in the group even when his starting 11 has been rigid.
Fixing the selection jigsaw
The injuries to key players meant those who expected to warm the bench in Qatar suddenly found themselves in lead roles. Four years ago, Adrien Rabiot refused to be a reserve player in the World Cup squad. This time, he took Pogba’s place in midfield. Theo Hernandez, always on the fringes, was thrust into the limelight after his brother Lucas’ tournament ended due to an injury. Jules Kounde, a regular centre-back, blossomed in the role of a makeshift right-back while Antoine Griezmann has emerged as a contender for the player of the tournament playing as a midfielder.
It took incredible imagination and courage for Deschamps to fix the jigsaw and form a playing 11 after more than half of the regular starters were rendered unavailable.
Shedding aesthetics
The biggest – and the only casualty, as it turns out – has been the loss of aesthetics in the way France play. Aware of his team’s limitations, the world champions have had no qualms about playing second fiddle to their opponents and allowing them to keep the ball. It’s another layer of Deschamps-ism – the low-risk philosophy entails that the more you hold possession, the chances of errors increase.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui conceded his team walked right into France’s trap. “It was not our game plan (to have so much of the ball),” L’Equipe quoted Regragui as saying, referring to the 61 per cent possession his team ‘enjoyed’. “I had told the players before the match: ‘they are going to leave the ball for us and we have to leave it for them’. In the end, we were fooled.”
Throughout the campaign, France have absorbed pressure and defended in numbers; playing conservatively but doing just enough to win.
Winning critical moments
France, in most of their matches, haven’t been authoritative but were better during critical moments, match-defining moments.
Against England, France were second best for most parts of the match. But 12 minutes from time, Olivier Giroud swung the momentum in France’s favour with an incredible header. It was a half-chance, at best, but the goal – which came out of nowhere – ultimately proved to be the difference.
Morocco, too, experienced France’s mental and physical strength during key situations. For instance, in the 53rd minute, Yahya Attiatt-Allah found himself in space on the left side of the box and tried to find Youssef En-Nesyri in front of an open goal. With Hugo Lloris out of position, Ibrahima Konate threw himself in front of the attackers and cleared the danger.
France’s head coach Didier Deschamps celebrates after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Konate is France’s third-choice centre-back after Rafael Varane and Dayo Upamecano, who didn’t feature in the semis due to illness. But when the moment came, he stepped up.
In-game management
The contribution of Konate, who came on as a second-half substitute in the semifinals, is also a testimony to Deschamps’ ability to make timely interventions to change the flow of the match. Deschamps has stuck to the same playing 11, more or less, as well as the structure. But whenever his side has been found wanting, he hasn’t hesitated to change things.
For instance, the left flank against Morocco was thoroughly exploited with Mbappe and Hernandez barely doing any defensive work. In the earlier matches, Rabiot plugged the gaps left an adventurous Mbappe, who ventures out of position, but since he was unavailable, Hernandez was time and again found in a 2v1 situation against Ziyech and Hakimi.

So, Deschamps introduced Marcus Thuram just after the hour mark, pushed Mbappe forward and ordered his substitute to shore up the left flank. Then, around the 73rd minute, the coach could be seen having a word with Hernandez. The substitution proved timely since Thuram ended up winning more duels (8) in the 25 minutes he was on the pitch than any other player in the entire match.Subscriber Only StoriesPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
It must have pleased Deschamps. When he lost Pogba, Kante and Benzema, France were vulnerable and the concerns of a group-stage exit loomed large. But he managed to mobilise his ‘second-string’ squad, who are on the cusp of defending the World Cup while also standing between Messi and his fairytale ending.