Didier Deschamps has put his mourning aside and returned to the French national team. The 57-year-old missed the final group match against Norway to say goodbye to his late mother in France. Now he is back on the sidelines – just in time for the round of 16 on Tuesday against Sweden.
“It’s good to be busy,” Deschamps said. The coach emphasized that the time off did him and the team good. “I’m here, I’m fine,” he stated. The World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada offers him a welcome distraction during a difficult personal period.
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot supports his coach during this time. “Didier came back with the will to go as far as possible. It will help him get over this tragic event,” the 31-year-old explained. The team knows what Deschamps is going through and tries to bring him some joy.
Deschamps has coached Les Bleus since 2012 and led them to the World Cup title in 2018. After the current tournament, Zinédine Zidane is reportedly set to take over. Should France beat Sweden and Germany win their first knockout match against Paraguay, the two teams would meet in the quarterfinals.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
