Deschamps on to sure thing

Last weekend, Didier Deschamps chalked up another significant achievement in a remarkable career.

He became the longest-serving coach of France when he oversaw his 80th game as Les Bleus beat Argentina 4-3 in a thriller to go through to today’s World Cup quarterfinal against Uruguay.

Six years have passed since he replaced Laurent Blanc, but how long he carries on could come down to what happens in Nizhny Novgorod today, when France and their fearsome attack come up against the formidable Uruguayan defence.

The French Football Federation set a semifinal place as their target coming to Russia, and a last-eight exit would leave a sense of potential unfulfilled in the Deschamps era.

The FFF have said that the coach, who turns 50 this year, will stay around until 2020, when his contract expires.

Nevertheless, a disappointing exit and his position will look rather fragile at a time when Zinedine Zidane is a free man having left Real Madrid.

Calls for more flair are inevitable when Deschamps has so many brilliant players at his disposal, and his lack of charisma when he appears before the media can be frustrating.

However, the end will always justify the means, as long as he keeps on winning.

“He is a manager, a leader of men. He is a winner,” says Guy Stephan, his loyal assistant for almost a decade now. — AFP