French national team: Revelations emerge on Didier Deschamps' departure from the federation

More details revealed about the former Bleus coach's exit

Europe Today at 11:09

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French national team: Revelations emerge on Didier Deschamps' departure from the federation

As he sought to explain the end of his story with the French national team, former Bleus coach Didier Deschamps spoke of an "unbearable environment".

This Sunday, in an interview with Paris Match, journalist François Vignolle, one of the authors of the book "Stars in Their Eyes", clarified that Deschamps' comments were directed in particular at the French Football Federation.

🚨🚨| JUST IN: Didier Deschamps felt 𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 by the French Football Federation at the World Cup, per reports. 😤🇫🇷

He believes the FFF has already moved on to Zinédine Zidane as his replacement, per François Vignolle.

[@ParisMatch] pic.twitter.com/4UJp5czSoZ
— Goals Side (@goalsside) August 2, 2026

"When Didier Deschamps announced he would leave Les Bleus after the 2026 World Cup, he caught everyone off guard. It was January 6, 2025, and he was accompanying Brigitte Macron on the TF1 set for the Pièces Jaunes charity campaign. But Deschamps felt relieved, and the federation was also relieved when he said: 'That's it, I'm leaving.' In fact, he knew he would put an end to all the speculation about his successor, which could have disrupted the final stages of his tenure and, above all, his team's preparations. On this matter, I think he left with a lighter heart and, above all, removed a thorn from Diallo's side when it came to communication. It became much easier for Diallo to talk with Zinédine Zidane, who is the coach the public wants. However, in the United States, Deschamps did not feel supported—he had the impression the federation had already moved on to Zidane. There was a kind of Boston wall between the Four Seasons Hotel and Diallo's teams. Deschamps is a very sensitive person, paradoxically. His statement on M6—that the atmosphere had become unbearable—also referred to the FFF," Vignolle explained.

During the 2026 World Cup, Didier Deschamps expected more from the FFF.

Joshua SOSSOU

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As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.