‘The team will be more serene’ – Raymond Domenech weighs in on Didier Deschamps’ decision to resign | OneFootball

The announcement of Didier Deschamps’ departure from the French national team could be what Les Bleus need going forward.

Raymond Domenech, who guided the French to the World Cup final in 2006, believes that knowing the former national team captain is leaving will bring peace to the group.

Speaking to L’Équipe, Domenech said by resigning, “He (Deschamps) freed himself, and he freed the French team.” He says that making this announcement well in advance will enable the team to avoid distractions, as there won’t be lingering questions about his future since everything has been confirmed. “They will be more serene,” he adds.

Deschamps will leave his post as national team manager following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, having been in charge since 2012.

Making a resignation announcement ahead of a major tournament has become a common trend among many past French managers, with Michel Hidalgo, Aimé Jacquet, Jacques Santini and Domenech all doing the same as Deschamps before either a World Cup or Euros.

Domenech’s time as French manager ended on a sour note, with his team failing to make it out of the group stage at the 2010 finals with several players boycotting training before their final group fixture against the hosts South Africa. In 2006, Domenech’s side was on the cusp of being world champions, losing the final against Italy on penalties. Zinedine Zidane, the projected frontrunner to replace Deschamps, was red-carded in extra-time of that fixture for headbutting Marco Materazzi.

Two coaches have been in charge of Les Bleus since Domenech departed, with Laurent Blanc quitting at the conclusion of Euro 2012 and Deschamps succeeding his former teammate.

Under Deschamps, France finished as runners-up at Euro 2016 and were finalists in the previous two World Cups, lifting the trophy in 2018.

As a player, he captained Les Bleus to the World Cup in 1998 and was the skipper when they won the Euro two years later.

Deschamps is one of only three people to win the World Cup as the player and manager, with the others being Mário Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre