Didier Deschamps facts for kids
Deschamps as France manager in 2018
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| Full name | Didier Claude Deschamps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 October 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bayonne, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | France (manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1983 | Bayonne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1985 | Nantes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1989 | Nantes | 111 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1994 | Marseille | 123 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 29 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Juventus | 124 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Chelsea | 27 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Valencia | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 427 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | France U21 | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–2000 | France | 103 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Monaco | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Juventus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Marseille | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012– | France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Didier Claude Deschamps (born 15 October 1968) is a famous French football manager and former player. He has been the manager of the French national team since 2012.
As a player, he was a defensive midfielder. This means he played in the middle of the field, helping to protect his team's goal and win the ball back. He played for big clubs like Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea, and Valencia. People called him "the water-carrier" because he was so good at getting the ball back and passing it to his teammates. He was also a great leader.
Deschamps played for France 103 times. He was the captain when France won the World Cup in 1998 and the Euro 2000.
He won many titles as a player. With Marseille, he won two French league titles and the UEFA Champions League in 1993. He was the youngest captain ever to win the Champions League! With Juventus, he won the Champions League again in 1996, plus three Italian league titles. He also won the FA Cup with Chelsea.
After retiring as a player, Deschamps became a manager. He led Monaco to a cup win and the Champions League final. He also helped Juventus win the Serie B title and return to the top league. With Marseille, he won the French league title in 2010 and three League Cups.
In 2012, he became the manager of the French national team. He led them to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014 and the Euro 2016 final. In 2018, he guided France to win the World Cup! This made him one of only three people in history to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager. He also led France to the World Cup final in 2022 and won the UEFA Nations League in 2021.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Didier Deschamps was born in Bayonne, France. He started playing football at a local club called Aviron Bayonnais. When he was 14, scouts from Nantes noticed his talent, and he joined their youth team. He made his professional debut for Nantes in 1985.
In 1989, he moved to Marseille. After a loan spell at Bordeaux in 1990, he returned to Marseille. This is where he won his first big trophies. He helped Marseille win the French league twice, in 1991 and 1992. The biggest win was the Champions League in 1993. Marseille became the first and only French club to win this important European trophy, and Deschamps was their captain!
In 1994, Deschamps joined the Italian club Juventus. He had a very successful time there, winning three Italian league titles (Serie A), one Italian Cup, and two Italian Super Cups. He also won his second Champions League title in 1996 with Juventus.
After Italy, he played one season in England for Chelsea, where he won the FA Cup. He finished his playing career in Spain with Valencia, helping them reach the 2001 UEFA Champions League final before retiring in 2001 at the age of 32.
International Career for France
Deschamps first played for the French national team in 1989. In the early 1990s, France's team struggled and didn't qualify for the World Cups in 1990 and 1994.
When Aimé Jacquet became the new coach, he started to build a new team. Deschamps, as one of the experienced players, was chosen to be the captain of this new group, which later became known as the "Golden Generation." He led France to the semi-finals of Euro 96.
In 1998, Deschamps captained France to win the World Cup on their home ground in Paris. He was a very important player in the team. Building on this success, Deschamps also led France to win Euro 2000. This meant France held both the World Cup and Euro titles at the same time, a very rare achievement!
After Euro 2000, Deschamps retired from international football. He had played 103 games for France and scored four goals. In 2004, the legendary footballer Pelé named Deschamps as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.
How He Played
Didier Deschamps was known for being a very smart and hard-working defensive midfielder. His main job was to stop the other team's attacks and win the ball back. Once he had the ball, he was great at starting new attacks for his team.
His former teammate Eric Cantona jokingly called him "the water-carrier." This nickname meant that Deschamps did the hard work of winning the ball and passing it to more attacking players. He was known for his energy, determination, good passing, and strong leadership on the field. He always knew where to be and how to organize his teammates.
Managerial Career
After finishing his playing career, Deschamps became a football manager.
Monaco Manager
His first coaching job was with Monaco in France. He led them to win the French League Cup in 2003. The next year, in 2004, he guided Monaco to their first-ever UEFA Champions League final. He left the club in 2005.
Juventus Manager
In 2006, Deschamps became the manager of his former club, Juventus, in Italy. The club had been sent down to the second division (Serie B) because of a big scandal. Deschamps helped Juventus win the Serie B title in 2007, bringing them back to the top league (Serie A) in just one season. He then resigned after some disagreements with the club's management.
Marseille Manager
Deschamps returned to another former club, Marseille, as manager in 2009. In his first season, he led them to win their first Ligue 1 title in 18 years! He also won the French League Cup three times in a row between 2010 and 2012. He left Marseille in 2012.
France National Team Manager
On 8 July 2012, Deschamps was chosen to be the new manager of the France national football team.
- 2014 FIFA World Cup: He led France to the quarter-finals in Brazil, where they lost to Germany, who went on to win the tournament.
- UEFA Euro 2016: France reached the final of the European Championship, which was held in France. However, they lost 1–0 to Portugal in extra time.
- 2018 FIFA World Cup: Deschamps carefully picked his team for the World Cup in Russia. His team played very well in the knockout rounds, beating Argentina and Uruguay. They then defeated Belgium in the semi-final and Croatia 4–2 in the final to become World Cup champions! This made Deschamps only the third person ever to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager.
- UEFA Euro 2020: France was knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland after a penalty shootout.
- 2022 FIFA World Cup: Deschamps led France to their second World Cup final in a row in Qatar. They played an exciting match against Argentina, which ended 3–3, but France lost in a penalty shootout.
- UEFA Euro 2024: France qualified for Euro 2024 by finishing top of their group. They even had their biggest win ever, beating Gibraltar 14–0!
In January 2025, Deschamps announced he would not extend his contract after the 2026 World Cup.
Managerial Style
Didier Deschamps is known for being a smart manager who helps his teams perform well in big tournaments. He likes to build a strong team that works hard together. His players say he is "calm and collected," which helps them stay focused.
He is good at making smart tactical choices. For example, during the 2018 World Cup, he used players in new ways to make the team stronger in both defense and attack. He also likes to let his players make decisions on the field without too many instructions from the sidelines.
Deschamps believes it's very important for players to get along well and have a good team spirit. He tries to build positive relationships with everyone in his team and staff.
Personal Life
Didier Deschamps married Claude Antoinette in 1989. They have a son named Dylan, who was born in 1996. Didier was raised Catholic. His first cousin is Nathalie Tauziat, a retired professional tennis player.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Nantes | 1985–86 | Division 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 1986–87 | Division 1 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | Division 1 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||
| 1988–89 | Division 1 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 1 | |||
| 1989–90 | Division 1 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 1 | |||
| Total | 111 | 4 | 9 | 0 | !3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 4 | ||
| Marseille | 1989–90 | Division 1 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 26 | 4 | |
| 1991–92 | Division 1 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 44 | 4 | ||
| 1992–93 | Division 1 | 36 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 50 | 1 | ||
| 1993–94 | Division 1 | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| Total | 123 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 9 | ||
| Bordeaux (loan) | 1990–91 | Division 1 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | |
| Juventus | 1994–95 | Serie A | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | |
| 1995–96 | Serie A | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
| 1996–97 | Serie A | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 1997–98 | Serie A | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 1998–99 | Serie A | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Total | 124 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 178 | 4 | ||
| Chelsea | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 1 | — | 47 | 1 | |
| Valencia | 2000–01 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |
| Career total | 427 | 17 | 41 | 3 | 88 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 561 | 21 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1989 | 5 | 2 |
| 1990 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 12 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 17 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 103 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Deschamps goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 1989 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France |  Scotland |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 18 November 1989 | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 2–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 24 January 1990 | Al-Sadaqua Walsalam, Kuwait City, Kuwait |  East Germany |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 22 January 1997 | Estádio Primeiro de Maio, Braga, Portugal |  Portugal |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Monaco | 1 July 2001 | 19 September 2005 | 220 | 110 | 59 | 51 | 50.00 |
| Juventus | 10 July 2006 | 26 May 2007 | 43 | 30 | 11 | 2 | 69.77 |
| Marseille | 1 July 2009 | 2 July 2012 | 163 | 82 | 40 | 41 | 50.31 |
| France | 8 July 2012 | Present | 165 | 105 | 34 | 26 | 63.64 |
| Total | 591 | 327 | 144 | 120 | 55.33 | ||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Marseille
- Ligue 1: 1989–90, 1991–92
- UEFA Champions League: 1992–93
Juventus
- Serie A: 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98
- Coppa Italia: 1994–95
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1995, 1997
- Intercontinental Cup: 1996
- UEFA Champions League: 1995–96; runner-up: 1996–97, 1997–98
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 1994–95
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
- UEFA Super Cup: 1996
Chelsea
- FA Cup: 1999–2000
Valencia
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2000–01
France National Team
- FIFA World Cup: 1998
- UEFA European Championship: 2000
Individual Awards
- Division 1 Rookie of the Year: 1989
- Onze Mondial: 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997
- French Player of the Year: 1996
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
- FIFA 100: 2004 (named one of the greatest living footballers by Pelé)
- Golden Foot Award Legends: 2018
As a Manager
Monaco
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2003–04
Juventus
- Serie B: 2006–07
Marseille
- Ligue 1: 2009–10
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
- Trophée des Champions: 2010, 2011
France National Team
- FIFA World Cup: 2018; runner-up: 2022
- UEFA Nations League: 2020–21
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2016
Individual Manager Awards
- Ligue 1 Manager of the Year: 2004
- The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2018
- Globe Soccer Awards Coach of the Year: 2018
- World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2018
- IFFHS World's Best National Coach: 2018, 2020
Orders and Honors
Images for kids
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Deschamps as France manager in 2017
See also
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- In Spanish: Didier Deschamps para niños
