If the supporters are the 12th man, then surely the coach is that all-important 13th man. In France’s case, that man is Didier Deschamps. But of course that does not imply relegating his importance to the team. The former 1998 World Cup winner is the side’s real star, and he will be the key to Les Bleus’ run in Brazil.
Deschamps’ role as the focal of point became all the more pronounced when Franck Ribery had to be dropped from the squad due to injury. The Bayern Munich ace was the first name that came to mind when others mentioned France, other than the more introverted Karim Benzema.
With the withdrawal of Ribery, France’s squad became one of the youngest in Brazil. Moreover the team lost 80 caps. Now, only three players in the squad (Hugo Lloris, Patrice Evra and Benzema) hold more than 50 international caps. Furthermore 13 of the 23-man squad have less than 20 caps, with three of them (Raphael Varane, Mamadou Sakho and Paul Pogba) to feature in the projected starting eleven. This is where Deschamps makes his 103 caps count.
Deschamps arrived as the coach of Les Bleus with the aura of 1998. As the captain of that golden generation that went on to lift the cup on that fateful day in Paris, Deschamps had immediate legitimacy. Even more so than the more soft-spoken Laurent Blanc before him, Deschamps always had what World Cup winning coach Aime Jacquet called le “culte de la gagne” (the cult of winning).
It is that very spirit that Deschamps is able to harness and impart to his men. In France, Deschamps is considered like a Jose Mourinho of sorts, marshaling his troops through Hell and back with victory as the only acceptable result. In fact those who revere Deschamps say he possesses the aforementioned cult of winning, whilst others who don’t rate him consider him to possess insolently unfailing luck.
After all, the World Cup playoff qualifier was the turning point. The poor performance of Samir Nasri in the first leg legitimized Deschamps’ future decision not to include him in his 23-man squad.
The second leg triumph and Mamadou Sakho’s brace legitimized him rewarding the Liverpool centre-back with vice-captaincy. The emphatic 3-0 comeback win allowed him to install his 4-3-3 as well as Yohan Cabaye, for the first time utilized in a playmaking role in front of the defense, as the cornerstone of his midfield.
The euphoria that followed became the psychological trigger Deschamps pulled to create a group mentality and solidarity between the players and the supporters. Deschamps even turned Ribery’s withdrawal into a positive, convincing Benzema and Olivier Giroud to set their differences aside and play as functioning duo during their final warm-up game against Jamaica.
It is unquestionable that Deschamps was always going to be one of the key men for France. Today however, with this younger and more inexperienced squad, his nouse and know-how will become even more critical. No real leaders, in terms of character, really emerge out of this group.
The captaincy residing with Lloris speaks volumes to that. This is why Deschamps’ experience and leadership become all the more important. So whether it be on a star man or a lucky star, Les Bleus will have to count on Deschamps if they are to have any hopes of success in Brazil.
Follow Ogo Sylla on Twitter at: @RossonerOgo_3
