Didier Deschamps did everything right in his coaching during the quarter-final against England and during the semi-final against Morocco.
Didier Deschamps is perhaps not the man of the most daring coaching, but the coach of the Blues had flair at least twice during this World Cup.
In the quarter-finals, while the France team was hooked by England, Didier Deschamps wanted to release an Olivier Giroud who was struggling to exist against the defense of the Three Lions. Marcus Thuram was ready to enter, but the coach was seized with doubts when he saw his n°9 get a great chance against Jordan Pickford.
« Oh damn, the stop he makes! The stop he makes! Oh fuck ! Wait, wait, let them do this,” launched Didier Deschamps to his deputy Guy Stéphan. A few seconds later, Antoine Griezmann delivers the cross which will allow Giroud to score the winning goal… and to stay on the pitch until the final whistle.
Kolo Muani, the flair of Deschamps
In the semi-final, Didier Deschamps was right again, as we can see in a scene told by L’Equipe. In the second half, it was Steve Mandanda who came to advise his coach to bring in Kingsley Coman in place of Ousmane Dembélé, who began to stick out his tongue. Deschamps nods…then thinks of something else.
« Guy! I don’t really know, we’re going to try Randal…”, loose the coach of the Blues, thus favoring Kolo Muani to a slightly sick Coman. « Shall we bring in Kolo? », asks his deputy Guy Stéphan. “Yeah Kolo, you never know”, Deschamps slice. The rest is known, with this goal from the former Nantes player on his first ball. The perfect shot.
