Deschamps builds repeat run on trust and efficiency

Didier Deschamps discusses the importance of creating the right dynamic for France off the field – and the need for efficiency on it.

Vittorio Pozzo guided Italy to back-to-back FIFA World Cups™ with Italy in the 1930s. Didier Deschamps stands two games away from repeating that feat with France. Just don’t expect him to want to dwell on the possibility. When the prospect was raised in an interview with FIFA ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final against Morocco, the reply of the France coach was fairly brief. “He is a great man, who achieved great stuff. Good for him,” said Deschamps.

“If you want to make a comparison, I have only [reached] the semi-finals so far. We need to think about the semi-final against Morocco.” An understandable response yet the 54-year-old is evidently doing something right. A world champion as France captain in 1998. A world champion as France coach in 2018. And now back at the semi-final stage here in Qatar. Indeed, his France team are the first defending champions to have reached the semi-finals since Brazil in 1998.

Asked what he is doing right, he touches on creating the right dynamic off the field. “I spend a lot of time with my staff, so I talk to my players collectively and individually.,” he said “For me, the most important thing is to keep everyone within this dynamic, and to spend a lot of time with the players who don’t play. “Sometimes we speak, other times we have meetings. We also have conversations during the day. I don’t have an office where I can welcome them one by one so we have a relationship built on trust, which is important to have between the players and me.” Deschamps’ players would concur. Defender Jules Kounde said: “Generally speaking, I think he’s a coach who does everything to make the players feel comfortable.

“As for his approach, he’s clear about what he expects from each player. This allows the players to feel involved, whether we play a lot or a little. We especially have a clear idea of what the coach expects from us so I think this is one of his strengths.”

Centre-back Raphael Varane added: “For me, Didier’s best coaching quality is his ability to form a group, to use everyone’s qualities for a collective goal. Also, to put the team above all else and use their qualities towards the collective goal.” What Deschamps wants above all, it seems, is efficiency. That is certainly one way of summing up their hard-fought quarter-final victory over an England side who were on top for a significant period in the second half before Olivier Giroud’s 78th-minute winner.

“There are always important and crucial moments,” he said. “Obviously when the team scores, but there are other moments when the team struggles, but you should be efficient. “It’s a matter of efficiency in football. When we get into an offensive zone and also a defensive zone, a big team should be able to attack properly and defend properly.”

Their semi-final opponents Morocco have defended better than any team in this tournament, conceding just once – and that an own goal. “They’re a team that have defended pretty well, but they aren’t only defensive, otherwise they wouldn’t have reached the semi-finals,” said Deschamps.

“They also have some offensive tools, but [with] a defensive base, which is well-organised and very rational. “With that they have skill because of attacking players like [Youssef] En-Nesyri, [Hakim] Ziyech or [Sofiane] Boufal, who can create problems for their opponents. They master their craft, just like any other big team that are in the semi-finals. They have the skill to defend very well, for sure. They defend properly.

“They’re certainly the best team in terms of defence though, as I said, they’re here because they can also score goals.” In short, a big obstacle awaits at Al Bayt Stadium. Those Pozzo parallels can stay on hold for now.