Deschamps announced his departure in advance, and the French team will usher in the "Zidane era"?

The reporter reported coldly January 7 is a "teaser" of the end of an era for the French team. France coach Didier Deschamps has announced that he will leave when his contract expires in the summer of 2026. And if France does not qualify for the World Cup finals, he will choose to leave immediately. Deschamps' farewell 18 months ahead of schedule not only means that the "Deschamps era" that has been the French captain for 14 years since July 2012 is coming to an end, but also announces that after the 2026 World Cup, the French team will start a new era.

Why did Didier Deschamps choose to announce his departure 18 months in advance? French authoritative media believe that after the French team was eliminated by Spain in the semifinals of the European Championship last year, the French media and fans demanded that Deschamps resign with great enthusiasm, although the French Football Association finally chose to let Deschamps stay, but he had decided not to seek a contract renewal at that time, and he voluntarily left when the contract expired in the 2026 World Cup.

Didier Deschamps explained his departure in advance: "It's not something that has been prepared or thought out of it, it's a decision that has been very clear in my mind for a long time. Since 2012 when I took charge of France, my plan is to end in 2026 because it has to end at some point. I always have the same desire and passion to keep the French team at the highest level. 2026 is the best destination, and when everything is at its end, you have to know when to stop. ”

As early as last June, in an interview with German media, Deschamps had revealed something about the future: "My contract ends in 2026, that is, after the World Cup, I am free to choose what I want to do. Whether he was in charge at Monaco, Juventus or Marseille, Deschamps is free to leave whenever he feels that he has solved the team's problems or that he no longer feels the passion for career success. As with this early announcement of the date of his departure from France, Didier Deschamps has always had a very rare freedom of choice for professional coaches. He has never been fired in his career, and every time he ends a coaching career, it is a decision he makes on his own initiative.

Deschamps foresaw his future in advance and greeted Diallo, the newly re-elected president of the French Football Federation. The latter has built a real relationship of trust with Didier Deschamps for several months, and Diallo will be in full communication with Deschamps and the French coaching staff during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final match between France and Croatia in March, with the aim of refocusing the French team's attention on the game itself, and it can be regarded as a reassurance and coordination of the German coaching for more than a year.

Didier Deschamps opted to leave the team 18 months before the end of his contract to protect the coaching staff and the team. The French media and fans have always questioned his whereabouts after the European Championship. Deschamps hopes that the early announcement will dispel speculation about his future and ease the pressure on the French coaching staff, the team and Mbappe in particular. As one of the greatest coaches in France's history, Didier Deschamps hopes to focus on the Nations League and the World Cup over the next 18 months. In addition to trying to win more trophies for France, he also hopes to complete the metabolism of the French team.

After the 2022 World Cup, Raphael Varane, Giroud, and Griezmann withdrew from the French team one after another. From Euro 2016 to the end of the peak cycle of the French team in the 2022 World Cup, Deschamps' goal for the rest of his tenure is to complete the metabolism of the French team with Mbappe as the core. In addition to the possible trophies, a new French team with the ability to win the championship will be the best "legacy" that Didier Deschamps will leave for his successor.

As for the successor of the French team coach, Deschamps and the president of the French Football Federation, Diallo, have both chosen to avoid it. Didier Deschamps said the French Football Federation had plenty of time to choose its successor, and Diallo agreed that discussing a new coach now would be disrespectful to Deschamps' coaching staff and the French team. But the French media and fans know that the best candidate for Deschamps' successor is Zinedine Zidane. The former Real Madrid coach has been on a suspensian job for three years and seven months, during which time he turned down offers from a number of giants and the Football Association, and his ambition is to coach the French team.

Although the president of the French Football Federation, Diallo, did not make a clear statement, but he has always had great respect for Zidane: "Zidane is one of the superstars of French and world football, he contributed to the first star on the French jersey. I have great respect and admiration for one of the greatest players in the history of French football. Zinedine Zidane has won a lot of trophies and has shown his talent. For Zidane, at least Deschamps has a clear date for the end of his term and a clear expectation for himself. There is also new hope for the French media and fans, who have been dissatisfied with Deschamps since the European Championships.