Who is Didier Deschamps, the French head coach heading into this World Cup?

Who is Didier Deschamps, the French head coach heading into this World Cup?

Kenneth Mwenda
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:16 PM

Didier Deschamps is a legendary French football manager and ex-player. After victories in 1998 and 2018, he is one of only two men to have won the FIFA World Cup as both captain and coach. As a coach, he was able to pull France out of a rut by benching some big-name players for the sake of the team, which rose again in world soccer.

Who is Didier Deschamps, the French head coach heading into this World Cup?
France's head coach Didier Deschamps smiles as he poses during a photo session in Monaco, on October 25, 2022. Photo: Valery Hache
Source: Getty Images

He is a former player and France's national football manager who has led the France national team since 2012. He also played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs in France, Italy, England, and Spain.

Profile summary

Full names

Didier Claude Deschamps

Date of Birth

October 15 1968

Place of Birth

Bayonne, France

Age

54 years old (November 2022)

Zodiac sign

Libra

Nationality

French

Occupation

Ex-footballer / Coach

Ethnicity

White

Height

1.74 m

Mother

Ginette Deschamps

Father

Pierre Deschamps

Marital status

Married

Wife

Claude Antoinette

Son

Dylan

Net worth

Around $245 million

Didier Deschamps' age

He was born on October 15, 1968, in Bayonne, France, to his mother, Ginette, and father, Pierre Deschamps. He is currently 54 years old (as of November 2022).

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Didier Deschamps' stats as a player

Didier Deschamps vs Manchester United
Didier Deschamps of Chelsea in action during the FA Carling Premiership match against Bradford City at Valley Parade in Bradford, England. Photo: Craig Prentis
Source: Getty Images

After spending several years with Nantes beginning in 1983, he moved to Marseille in 1989 and then spent a season on loan with Bordeaux in 1990 before returning to Marseille. During his second stint with Marseille, he won his first professional honours, winning two French league titles in 1991 and 1992, and was part of the first and only French team to have won the Champions League in 1993, becoming the youngest captain ever to do so.

He moved to Juventus in 1994, where he won three Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, two Italian Supercups, as well as his second Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup in 1996. He also made two more Champions League finals in the following two seasons and a UEFA Cup final in the year 1995.

Following his relatively good time with Juventus, the star spent a season in England with Chelsea, winning the FA Cup and scoring once in the Champions League against Hertha BSC. He finished his playing career with Valencia, and was part of the squad which lost in the 2001 UEFA Champions League Final to Bayern Munich. He then retired in 2001 at the age of 32.

International career

Didier Deschamps' stats
French football captain Didier Deschamps (C) and Laurent Blanc (L) hold the FIFA trophy after the 1998 Soccer World Cup final. Photo: Thomas Coex
Source: Getty Images

Michel Platini called him up for his first international appearance against Yugoslavia on April 29, 1989. Deschamps captained France to victory in the 1998 World Cup on home soil in Paris, playing an important role in the team.

With the momentum of this victory, he captained France to Euro 2000 victory, making them the first national team to hold both the World Cup and Euro titles since West Germany did so in 1974, a feat replicated and surpassed by the Spain national team between 2008 and 2012.

Following the tournament, he declared his retirement from international football, making his final appearance in an August 2000 ceremonial match against a FIFA XI, which they won 5-1. His last game was against England.

Teams coached by Didier Deschamps

Teams coached by Didier Deschamps
Coach of France national team, Didier Deschamps, answers media questions during a post-match press conference on September 25, 2022, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: Jean Catuffe
Source: Getty Images

He went into football management after retiring as a player. His coaching career started at Monaco in France's Ligue 1 in 2003, and led the club to its first UEFA Champions League final in 2004. After a poor start to the season and a disagreement with the club's president, he resigned on September 19, 2005.

In 2006, he joined the Italian club Juventus. He also assisted Juventus in winning their first competition since being relegated, the Birra Moretti Cup, in which Juventus defeated Internazionale 1-0 as well as Napoli on penalties. He oversaw Juventus' return to Serie A, which was confirmed on May 19, 2007, and resigned the same month.

Deschamps was named manager of Marseille for the upcoming season in 2009. He led them to their first Ligue 1 title in 18 years in his first season. The former France international remained at the club until 2012, when he was called to the France national team.

Deschamps' ascendancy in France

Did Didier Deschamps play football?
Didier Deschamps takes the FIFA World Cup Trophy on stage during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final Draw, at Doha Exhibition Center on April 1, 2022, in Doha, Qatar. Photo: Marcio Machado
Source: Getty Images

On July 8 2012, he was appointed as the head coach of the France national football team, following in the footsteps of Laurent Blanc, who had resigned. His France team reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 2014 but was defeated 1-0 by Germany, who went on to win the tournament.

Didier Deschamps' most notable achievement as a coach came during the 2018 World Cup in Russia when he led France to victory. The youth of Kylian Mbappe, combined with the pedigree of former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann, inspired the team to victory. France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final, and Deschamps became the second person to win the World Cup as both captain and coach and the third person to win it as both a player and coach.

His reign is the second-longest in French national team history, trailing only Gaston Barreau's reign from 1919 to 1945. There is speculation that he will be replaced after the 2022 World Cup.

Didier Deschamps' net worth

Didier Deschamps' net worth
Didier Deschamps attends the Ballon D'Or photocall at Theatre du Chatelet on November 29, 2021, in Paris, France. Photo: Marc Piasecki
Source: Getty Images

The French coach-footballer is worth an estimated $245 million. He made his fortune through wise stock investments, large property holdings, and lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics.

He also owns a number of restaurants as well as a Vodka brand. In addition, he is attempting to break into another market with a top-selling perfume and a fashion line. With an estimated $82 million in combined earnings, he is one of the top ten highest-paid coaches for 2022.

Didier Deschamps' family

Didier Deschamps' family
France Manager, Didier Deschamps, his wife Claude Deschamps and son Dylan Deschamps arrive ahead of The Best FIFA Football Awards on September 24, 2018, in London, England. Photo: Julian Finney
Source: Getty Images

He married Claude Antoinette in 1989, and they have one son, Dylan, born in 1996. He was raised as a devout Catholic. Deschamps' brother Philippe, died in a plane crash. Nathalie Tauziat, a former professional tennis player and Wimbledon finalist, is his first cousin.

Didier Deschamps remains France's manager for the World Cup 2022, where he hopes to defend the title he won four years ago. They may have flopped at Euro 2020 last summer, losing on penalties to Switzerland in the last 16, but Les Bleus are one of the favourites to win in Qatar.

READ ALSO: The biggest World Cup snubs: A list of footballers left out of their countries' World Cup squad

Sportsbrief.com published an article about the biggest World Cup snubs in 2022. A number of the teams had some of the most talented players in the same position, while injuries sidelined others.

Another group has been left because of their failing relationship with their international officials. Click the above link to read more!

Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.