Didier Deschamps wins The Best FIFA Men's Coach Award 2018
Reaching the pinnacle of one career is quite something, but to start afresh and reach the very top in an entirely different profession is a truly remarkable feat. Didier Deschamps has increased an elite group of two (Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer) by one, to become the third man to win the FIFA World Cup as a player and then a coach.
Harnessing the despair of defeat in the UEFA EURO 2016 final on home soil as a motivating factor, Deschamps sculpted a squad for Russia 2018 that blended a dogged determination in defence with a relentless attacking joie de vivre, embodied by the artistic midfield leadership of Paul Pogba, the ruthless pace of Kylian Mbappe and the fun-loving sharp point of the attack: Antoine Griezmann.
France’s 4-2 victory in Moscow’s finale against Croatia – coming two decades after Deschamps lifted the fabled Trophy as Les Bleus captain on home soil – completed the journey for ‘the coach on the pitch’, to The Best Men’s Coach in the dugout.
3 finalists for FIFA Best Coach Award
Zlatko Dalic
Croatia
- Took Croatia to their first FIFA World Cup Final
- Led them to historic match in Moscow after just nine months in the job
- Were one of only three teams to secure three group wins
Didier Deschamps
France
- Won the FIFA World Cup
- Became only the third man to do so as a player and coach
- Has taken charge of more games for France than anyone else
Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid
- Clinched a third-straight UEFA Champions League title
- Became first coach to win three in a row
- Left Real Madrid with a 70 per cent win ratio