Emotion and celebration for Deschamps’ home farewell

June 8, 2026 No Comments

Emotion and celebration for Deschamps’ home farewellImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Didier Deschamps will end his 14-year tenure as France manager after the World CupByAndy GrayBBC Sport NI Journalist at the Decathlon Arena, LillePublished54 minutes agoThe World Cup will mark the end of an era as Didier Deschamps prepares to wave goodbye to France after the finals.Already a World Cup-winning captain in 1998, Deschamps became only the third man to win the World Cup as a player and a manager in 2018 when he led France to the biggest prize in football.When France play their final game at the World Cup it will be the end of a 14-year tenure, and in Monday’s friendly with Northern Ireland in Lille, the 57-year-old will lead his nation for one final time on home soil before they head to the USA. It is likely to be a night filled with emotion. “I can imagine the state of mind of Didier after all this time spent with the French team,” midfielder Adrien Rabiot reported. “We’re all human beings, we have compassion, we have emotions and everything that comes along with it. “The coach has done a great job with the French team and I hope that he will be celebrated, because he deserves it.”Will NI be ‘badly behaved guests’ at France’s party?

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As Rabiot predicts, celebrations in Lille are likely.

In their previous game in Nantes on Thursday – a surprise 2-1 defeat by the Ivory Coast – fans paid tribute to Deschamps by holding up cardboard cut outs which bore his image during the match.

But for the manager, he is not letting his own farewell take away from the team’s send off.

“Ever since I came in to camp, there’s lots of things that I’ve done for the last time, so I’m not trying to think about all these things.

“I’m not too sad, I’m not going to be happy about it. What’s important for me is beyond my personal case.”

Deschamps, who has also guided France to the last World Cup final, the Euro 2016 final and the Nations League title in 2021, thanked the French support for the gesture.

Les Bleus will play Senegal, Iraq and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I in the USA, and Deschamps wants “the positive things” from fans before they head to the finals.

“The tribute was nice, and even though it was during the match and the players were playing, I was trying to be focused on what’s happening on the field,” he added.

“These two matches in France before we leave for the US, being close to the supporters and lots of the people who are not able to go to the US, we’re trying to get as much energy, trying to get as much good vibes from the supporters as we can, and these are positive things for the French team.”

France v Northern Ireland

International friendly

Monday, 8 June at 20:10 BST

Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre Mauroy

Watch on iPlayerListen on Sounds

Watch live on BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer from 19:30 BST; Live on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster; Live text on BBC Sport app and website

‘He includes everyone’

With such a long stint as manager, AC Milan midfielder Rabiot reported Deschamps’ “ability to being players together” was one of his main strengths.

“He includes everyone. It’s really important and it’s crucial to be able to build like that.

“Training is really professional, but they can also be a little fun. It’s important to have a mix, especially entering a competition like the World Cup.

“It can be tough. It’s a long competition and his strength is probably the management of his players.

“We’ve been together for a while so we know what he expects from us, and it’s such a long-lasting competition that the players’ management is important.”

Didier Deschamps being celebrated by fans — Image caption,

Fans paid tribute to Didier Deschamps in France’s defeat by the Ivory Coast in Nantes

Despite the shock loss to the Ivory Coast, Deschamps feels the confidence in the squad has not been dented.

After missing that defeat, Arsenal defender William Saliba and PSG’s Champions League winners Ousmane Demeble and Desire Doue are all available to play in Lille.

When asked about worrying about playing a friendly before going to the finals and the threat of injury, Rabiot reported it was “the last rehearsal” before they play Senegal on 16 June in New Jersey.

“We don’t use this match as a friendly,” he reported.

“We want to do well and we want to take pleasure in playing.

“We want to enjoy the moment. It’s really hard to start playing 50% and it’s complicated.

“You have to play fully and having in the back of our heads that this is the last rehearsal and it would be good to finish on a good note, in order to arrive in the US with lots of confidence built.”

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