'He is, to this day, the greatest France manager' – French FA president Philippe Diallo pays tribute to Didier Deschamps

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French FA president Philippe Diallo has paid tribute to France manager Didier Deschamps. The former Juventus and Chelsea midfielder has confirmed he would not seek a contract renewal as Les Bleus boss, sealing his exit after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Deschamps’ tenure in the France dugout will span 14 years, a record for any France manager. Speaking to L’Equipe, Diallo feels the FC Nantes Academy graduate is, to this day, the greatest manager in the history of France’s national team.

Diallo adds that Deschamps informed him of his decision before the holiday season. Deschamps wanted the announcement to be made before France’s next games in March to prevent any disruption or doubts surrounding his future. “It's a personal, responsible and elegant decision, in accordance with his character”, Diallo said. “He is still as motivated and ready as ever to fly France’s flag high. But perhaps he felt that in, 2026, he would have spent more than ten years at the head of Les Bleus, which is, in itself, quite exceptional, and that it was time to move on.”

When asked about Deschamps’ successor as France manager, Diallo remains tight-lipped, out of respect for Deschamps and the fact the latter’s tenure is far from over. “I want Didier to work in peace.” However, Diallo was full of praise for the leading candidate to replace Deschamps: Zinédine Zidane. “A landmark of French football who contributed to France jersey’s first star [as World Cup winners]. I have a lot of respect and admiration for one of the greatest players in the history of football. He had very high-quality results with Real Madrid, where he showed the extent of his talent.“

GFFN | Bastien Cheval