Discover the ten matches that made up the France squad under Didier Deschamps, who celebrates a decade of coaching at the helm of the Blues.
Ukraine, Germany, Croatia … the many opponents who contributed to writing the history of the French team, through thick and thin over ten years. On July 8, 2012, Didier Deschamps was handed the keys to the blue locker room. A decade later, Bayonne went through all the emotions. There were disappointments and euphoria. Tactical shots too. More generally, longevity is extremely rare in this profession. Unheard of in the history of the blues. Le Figaro has selected for you the 10 most emblematic matches of the Deschamps era.
1 – France – Uruguay, first evening (August 2012)
The early times are often forgotten. No exception here. On August 15, 2012, Didier Deschamps inaugurated his role as coach of the French national team, which was the captain of the team during the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 culmination. At the Oussen Stadium in Le Havre, in front of nearly 25,000 spectators, the Blues put in a poor performance against Uruguay. Score zero and negative, 0-0. The attacking duo of Karim Benzema and … Olivier Giroud, supported by Mathieu Valbuena and Franck Ribery, offers nothing. The next match, the 2014 World Cup qualifier win in Finland (0-2), will already be more memorable.
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2 – France – Ukraine, starting point (November 2013)
When Deschamps took over, the France team lost contact with their fans, and was shocked by Knysna’s failure in the 2010 World Cup. This link, he will sew in Saint-Denis, November 19, 2013. An unlikely double from Mamadou Sakho, toppled Ukraine in the second leg of the 2014 World Cup ( 3-0), after being defeated four days ago in Kyiv. this game”In memory of the French supporters and those present on that day, Estimated goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris in 2019. I always think there is a starting point in the story. This is the beginning of the adventure in the 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016 and the World Cup in Russia.»
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3- France-Germany, vocational training (July 2014)
After the euphoria against Ukraine, the Blues continue their momentum. In the Brazilian World Cup, they hit hard from the start of the group stage (victory over Honduras 3-0 and over Switzerland 5-2). They kicked Nigeria out not without difficulty in the round of 16 (2-0). Then stands the future world champion, Germany. Very fluffy, Deschamps’ men are tamed. Manuel Neuer collides with Manuel Neuer, the adventure ends in the quarter-finals. Antoine Griezmann, 23 and 9 picks at the time, is not holding back his tears. France is learning.
4 – France – Germany Tragedy (November 2015)
Friendly match at the Stade de France. The Blues push for world champion Germany, thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Andre-Pierre Gignac (2-0). Ironic facts of the game in the face of the reality that the country suffered that evening. And a series of attacks took place in Paris, including around the stadium, in the middle of the match. There will be more than 400 wounded and about 130 dead. Many fans will wait in the grass until 1am before being evacuated from the stadium. Four years later, Didier Deschamps assured him to remain touched by this tragic evening: “We can not forget.»
5- France-Ireland, swing (June 2016)
France slowly entered its “own” eurozone. She only beat Romania (2-1) and Albania (2-0) at the end of the match in the group stage. In the eighth, it was led by Ireland throughout the first period. At halftime, Deschamps revises his formula: He goes from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1. This includes moving Antoine Griezmann from the right side of the attack to the center. “I don’t want to understand it, but the coach changed the game by placing Antoine as the second striker‘, will recognize André-Pierre Gignac. The Blues won 2-1 with a double from ‘Grizou’ and will remain loyal to this 4-2-3-1 result, until the world title in Russia.
6 – France and Portugal, disappointment (July 2016)
The planets seemed balanced. France beat world champions Germany in the semi-finals (2-0). She hadn’t played overtime when she faced Portugal, who reached the finals, twice. Portugal, who has always had the blues as a pet (Euro 1984, Euro 2000, World Cup 2006). To bury Lusitanian’s hopes, Cristiano Ronaldo comes off injured after 25 minutes. However… “The final match that was held two years ago was not accommodatedDidier Deschamps roared shortly before the 2018 World Cup finals. Gignac’s post in extra time, the reviews of Rui Patricio and, above all, the unexpected hero’s goal, Eder: France stunned. For some (Koccelyn, Sagna, Payet, Gignac.. .) And to the tens of thousands of fans at the Stade de France, the pain still lingers. For others, it’s a new foundational step to climb Everest.
7- France-Croatia, Apogee (July 2018)
“beautiful and strong» which in 1998, Didier Deschamps will taste. But a little more difficult. This World Cup Final will be the most prolific (and coolest) since 1966. After opening the scoring at 18e Minute, France collects a tie at 28e… and regains the lead at 38e (Griezmann penalty kick). He flies away after an hour thanks to Pogba and then Mbappé, before a ball from Lloris (69).e) which gives hope to Croatia. But those blues no longer crack. The score remained there (4-2) and the torrential rains, in Moscow, spread the ecstasy of the French. “We’ve come a long way, and it wasn’t always easy, but through hard work, we got there. It’s the crowning gloryDeschamps, captain of the team, moved in 1998. What made him one of the greatest gentlemen in French sport.
8- Turkey-France, Mission (June 2019)
France knew it: this trip to Turkey was the risky match of the Euro 2020 qualifiers. But this match, only one team played. “Fever“,”apathetic“,”Outdated“: These are the adjectives Le Figaro used to describe the defeat of the Blues in Konya (2-0). Without sounding the alarm, Antoine Griezmann called for “Work tactically, work on the basics offensively and defensively and come back stronger“. Thus we reject the remnants of the 2018 World Cup. To make matters worse, Marseille received heavy whistles before the meeting, against the backdrop of political tension between the two countries. President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron judged these whistles.”unacceptableThe Turkish Football Association had apologized.
9- France-Switzerland, The Great Hiccup (June 2021)
Carve out a workforce from the title, boosted by the return of Karim Benzema. France gained confidence with two 3-0 friendly victories, before Euro 2020 was postponed by a year. She successfully extricated herself without difficulty from the group of death (Germany, Portugal, Hungary). Then he collapsed in the round of 16, against Switzerland, which did not pretend to disappoint the world champion. In an unprecedented 3-5-2 match, with two of its injured full backs, France found itself behind in the first half (0-1). She collected herself to lead 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining. Before breaking down physically and mentally (3-3). Kylian Mbappe missed the last shot on target of the tournament and threw a response at the Blues. Subsequently, the future of Didier Deschamps will be called into question. end of an era?
10- Spain-France Heart of the Champion (October 2021)
We could have picked the previous match because they go hand in hand. The euro did not expire three months ago. France faces Belgium in the semi-finals of the Nations League. In the first half, the Blues trailed 2-0. There is no discussion. the players”they slaughtered“He will later recognize Didier Deschamps. A 15-minute break, during which Paul Pogba says”I felt a card that I can’t explainIt will change everything. France oust Belgium and win 3-2. Three days later, Spain also leads her in the final but she reacts quickly. And win a new trophy. A success marked by the imprint of Karim Benzema, the top scorer in every match, and France re-chosen him once and for all.
