French coach Didier Deschamps responded to questions about Mbappe's position on the field in an interview with The Guardian, stating that Mbappe should play in the center.
Walking along a lush green path towards the Clairefontaine base castle, one is greeted by a 3-meter-tall replica of the World Cup trophy, flanked by two stars representing France's two World Cup victories. Deschamps was involved in both: in 1998, he captained France to victory; in 2018, he replicated this achievement as head coach.
The 1998 World Cup final was France's first ever World Cup final, but now, France has participated in four of the last seven World Cup finals, with Deschamps involved in three of them. In North America, he will make his final push for another World Cup final. These expectations stem from past success. Having coached France for 14 years, Deschamps has led the team to three major tournament finals. In the interview, Deschamps said: "We are one of the favorites. For me, it's not a taboo word. If we have this status today, in my opinion, it is logical and legitimate, because of everything we have done before and the results we have achieved."
When interviewing Deschamps, his assistant Guy Stephan poked his head in from the doorway and joked: "You've found the best one." The French coach responded with a smile: "He's always very objective." Whether as a player or a coach, Deschamps' resume makes Stephan's statement hard to refute.
However, as always, evaluations are subjective. Deschamps said: "Abroad, perhaps there is more recognition. I am well aware of this, because I often travel abroad, and the feeling abroad is different from that in France." Domestic criticism in France focuses on playing style. Before addressing this topic, Deschamps chuckled: "It depends on what you mean by 'playing style'. It's one thing at the international level, but another in France. Goodness knows, if France is categorized as a defensive, constrained team, that hasn't stopped us from achieving results."
But Deschamps is not a person obsessed with historical evaluation. He insisted that "it's not important" and he is not interested. He added: "The most important thing is today and tomorrow, and tomorrow is the World Cup. After that, everyone will have their own... interpretation, their own feelings."
Public perception is one thing, how his peers view him is another. Southgate was once his follower, and Deschamps revealed that he also exchanged messages with Tuchel. Deschamps called Tuchel "a very good coach, and I like him very much, and have the opportunity to talk a lot with him." He has also communicated with Ancelotti, who coaches Brazil, and Flick, the former coach of Germany. Reaching three major tournament finals in 14 years and winning the UEFA Nations League has made Deschamps a key benchmark figure in modern national team football.
However, Deschamps stated that there is no secret formula that can be replicated. He said: "I have a magic word: adaptation... I will say to myself, 'I will adapt according to the person in front of me.' This will lead to adjustments... It's not because we did it this way in the past and it worked well that we shouldn't change. Of course, it's not for the sake of changing."
In addition to tactics, personnel management is equally crucial, and adaptation is essential. Deschamps said: "The generation of players I started coaching in 2012 is not the same as today's generation... The new generation needs more communication." Under his leadership, the French locker room has completed a generational transition.
Since losing to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, Lloris, Giroud, Varane, Griezmann, and others have all retired from the national team. Deschamps said: "The baton has been passed." He appointed Mbappe to take over Lloris's captain's armband, the latter being the most capped player in French history.
Deschamps said: "Kylian is our captain now. Before becoming captain, he would listen and observe. He does things differently from Hugo, with a completely different character and personality. He takes on this leadership responsibility off the field as well as on it. He knows that when he speaks, he is not speaking in his own name, but also on behalf of all the players."Deschamps also defended his use of the Real Madrid forward: "I must be stupid, and there must have been many stupid people among his past coaches, to put him in the attacking center of the teams he played for... For the past two years at Real Madrid, and his last year at Paris Saint-Germain... he has played in the center for three years."
Mbappe's performance at Euro 2024 did not meet expectations. Breaking his nose in the first match against Austria certainly didn't help, and Deschamps also stated that his preparation for that tournament was "not ideal." Deschamps added: "He came to the team after the last six months at Paris Saint-Germain, which was very, very difficult. He didn't have much playing time." Before this World Cup, Mbappe was only one goal short of Giroud's French national team goal record of 57 goals. For Deschamps, this in itself is self-explanatory. Deschamps' choices are always scrutinized, often criticized, but almost always correct.
To allow Mbappe to surpass Giroud's record, Deschamps must find the right "balance." He mentioned this word eight times in the interview on this humid afternoon. When discussing how changing from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 might expose France's usually solid defense, Deschamps retorted: "In the 2022 World Cup, we actually already had four attacking players starting."
He mentioned Griezmann's role. In the 2022 World Cup, Griezmann was placed in the midfield three, becoming the fourth attacking player in that system. Now, Olise has taken his place. Deschamps praised him: "He is more understated, a bit shy, but when he is on the field, it's truly beautiful. Now, he is the one who is shining, and one of the best players in the World Cup."
Deschamps needs to make difficult decisions, especially in the attacking positions. Mbappe, Olise, Dembele, Cherki, Doué, Barcola, Marcus Thuram, Mateta, and Akliouche cannot all play.
Deschamps said: "The key is how to manage the disappointment of those who cannot start. It's always difficult to accept, because every player thinks they are better than the one who replaced them... If you ask any professional player at the highest level, they will say: 'Competition? Of course, it's part of our lives.' But that's only when the competition is about their teammates; once it concerns themselves, it becomes more difficult."
Therefore, Deschamps also agreed with Tuchel's previous statement. Tuchel has been on the national team coaching stage for a shorter time, and Deschamps insists that the World Cup squad is not simply about bringing the 26 best players.
Deschamps will turn 58 in October, and he has long understood all this. He said that coaching a national team and coaching a club are "completely different jobs," and no colleague at this World Cup has the experience he has accumulated.
Deschamps said: "If I am still here today, it is because France has won many matches. Otherwise, this experience could have ended earlier, whether decided by me or by someone else for me." Ultimately, he made the decision himself. As he confirmed in January 2025, Deschamps will leave after France's campaign this summer.
This doesn't mean retirement, but the coach who once managed Juventus, Monaco, and Marseille is not thinking about his next step. Deschamps said: "I will not make any decisions until after the World Cup." However, he admitted that he has already received offers.
When asked if he might take a break from coaching for a while, Deschamps said he "has the freedom of choice." The last time he was away from football for a long time, this was not the case. Deschamps said: "I left Juventus in 2007. Between 2007 and 2009, I was on almost all shortlists. But my son told me: 'The problem is, you always fall just short.'" Now, he clearly doesn't need another World Cup to prove himself.
Deschamps doesn't care about historical evaluation, but when he left the Clairefontaine base castle for the last time last Sunday, he had already ensured he left his mark.