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France coach Didier Deschamps is back with Les Bleus for their World Cup round of 16 tie against Sweden on Tuesday after traveling to Europe for his mother’s funeral.
Deschamps learned of his mother’s death the day after France’s victory over Iraq on 22 June, which saw them progress from the group stage. He missed Friday’s win over Norway.
“I’m here. I feel good and it’s good to be busy since Friday night when I arrived back in the United States,” Dechamps said Monday through a translator.
France swept its group matches for the first time since 1998, joining Argentina and Mexico as the only nations to win all three games. Looking for their third title after 1998 and 2018, Les Blues will face Germany or Paraguay in the round of 16 if they get past the Swedes.
“For me it was very difficult. And for me and for the French national team it was important that I left. They did what they had to,” said Deschamps. “And now we are preparing a competition within the competition.”
Assistant Guy Stéphan led the team to a 4-1 win over Norway in Deschamps’ absence.
“It was quite a shock,” midfielder Adrien Rabiot said through a translator. “He trusted us completely and we delivered in the best possible way. We’re happy he’s back. I don’t think it’s that easy to have to grieve in these conditions. This is football and now we have the World Cup and that’s how it is.”
Deschamps coached France to the 2018 title and to the 2022 final, a penalty shootout loss to Argentina.
Captain of the French champions in 1998, Deschamps took over as coach in 2012 and said in January that he would retire this summer. He is trying to become the second coach to win two World Cup titles after Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo in 1934 and 1938.
“Didier came back with the willpower to go as far as possible in this World Cup. It’s something that will of course also help him forget a little bit about these tragic events,” said Rabiot. “He smiled a lot. He tried to be enthusiastic, although I know he is very affected by his grief. I think he is trying not to show it, not to transfer anything negative to the squad.”
Report from the Associated Press.
