"Leadership does not need big speeches": The emotional farewell to Didier Deschamps
Next Tuesday, Zinedine Zidane will be presented as the new head coach of the French national team. Just before that, the team's staff said goodbye to Didier Deschamps, who ended a 14-year chapter of 185 matches, highlighted by the 2018 World Cup victory and a 2022 final appearance.
Next Tuesday, Zinedine Zidane will be presented as the new head coach of the French national team. Just before that, the team's staff said goodbye to Didier Deschamps, who ended a long chapter of 14 years and 185 matches as coach of Les Bleus. Under his leadership, the team won the 2018 World Cup, reached the final in 2022, and advanced to the semi-finals in the last World Cup, where France lost 6:4 to England in the third-place match (after a 2:0 loss to Spain in the semi-finals). Upon ending his role, Deschamps admitted that the atmosphere had become "unbearable."
In a letter published in Le Parisien, it was written:
"When you, Didier Deschamps, gave us the right to join you in the amazing adventure called the French national team, none of us could have imagined everything we would go through together. The victories, the few disappointments, the travels around the world to represent something that is much more than a football team, the exciting moments we shared with an entire country, but also the daily life that no one sees, and which in the end is the most important. Now that this adventure has ended after the World Cup in the USA, we wanted to say thank you. There are thanks that cannot be kept in the heart. Thank you for trusting us, thank you for allowing us to take part in this unique journey, thank you for giving us a place by your side."
One idea, according to them, accompanied Deschamps throughout the way: "There is nothing more important than the shirt." They noted that they heard him say this sentence hundreds of times, but mostly they saw him implement it in practice: "For you, it was a requirement that could not be compromised. And before you demanded it from us, you demanded it from yourself, in every decision you made."
Further on, the staff described the lessons they learned from him:
"You taught us that hard work and belief in the path are worth more than empty promises, that responsibility is not demanded but carried. That every detail is important - from the pitch to the kitchen, from the press conference to the treatment room. To accept losses without looking for excuses and to remain united both when everything is going great and when things get complicated."
According to them, Deschamps knew how to build a team far beyond the players on the pitch: "You taught us that a great team is not just a collection of great players, but people who want to move forward together. You always reminded us that everyone has importance. You made us feel that our work has value, and that is perhaps one of the greatest gifts a coach can give to the people who work alongside him."
The staff also emphasized Deschamps' unprecedented achievements: "One should never underestimate the magnitude of the achievement. Beyond winning the World Cup, what is truly amazing is his stability at the top. No other coach has managed to lead a national team to the World Cup semi-finals three times in a row. History will remember the successes, the records, the finals, and the nights that thrilled an entire country."
However, they noted that the most precious memories for them will be those that will never be revealed to the public: "We will keep in our hearts the private conversations, the moments around the dining table, the words of encouragement after difficult days, and those quiet moments when a few of your words managed to get everyone back on track. You taught us that leadership does not need big speeches. One can lead quietly, but also firmly, with respect and deep humanity."
At the end of the letter, they said goodbye to him with personal words: "You left exactly as you managed the role - with humility, without looking for compliments, and without placing yourself above the institution. You dedicated 14 years of your life to the French national team and gave us the right to be part of this path. We will never forget this opportunity. Thank you for the trust, for the human yet demanding approach that helped us grow, for the moments that will stay with us forever, for the calamari and the pistachio ice cream. This journey has left a mark on us that will never be erased and will bind us for life. The pride to serve the French national team, and the joy to do it by your side."
