The Équipe tricolore meets defending champion Spain in the semi -finals of the Nations League. Can Deschamps eleven bring the title back to France after 2020/21 or defend Spain the title?
On Monday afternoon, Ousmane Dembelé experienced a spectacle that should remain unique in his career. Paris Saint-Germain’s outstanding striker this season was given the opportunity to present the Champions League trophy that was just conquering in Munich at the Center Court of Roland Garros.
For Dembelé, this acclaimed show act was a further positioning on the way to conquering the balloon d’Or, which the best European player of this season receives. On Thursday, in the semi-final duel of the Nations League against Spain (9 p.m.), the French striker will appear again in a football stadium, this time in Stuttgart.
France’s Ousmane Dembele stretches the Champions League Trophy at the French Open
Five Champions League winner With France
A few hours after Dembelé’s appearance, the French final delegates from Munich appointed for the national team finally arrived at the Clairefontaine team quarters. With Dembelé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Lucas Hernandez and Warren Zaire-Emery, five winners from last Saturday are there. At the diner in the evening they met Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard, who had still taken up PSG on Saturday in 5-0 win against Inter Milan.
Dembelé was sitting next to his friend Kylian Mbappé, the French, which is also very formable and accurate. Mbappé reached the feudal castle area of Clairefontaine like its real teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni, despite a game-free weekend, also only on Monday, the last day of the duty of duty because the club from Madrid had not released its valuable players beforehand. You should rest a little in front of the club World Cup, which France’s coach Didier Deschamps had to accept.
Spireless 90s Preventiveßball
Deschamps is currently a character of the French selection that is particularly under observation. At the beginning of January, he announced that after the 2026 World Cup he would stop as a national coach, after 14 years at the head of Les Bleus, with whom he won 106 of 167 games. Only the former national coach Joachim Löw achieved more international success with 124 victorious games. However, after a playfully poor European Championship in Germany, there had been hard criticism of the game view of the defensive fanatic Deschamp last summer.
France’s national coach Didier Deschamps discusses with his coaching staff
France reached the semi-finals, but the way there was characterized by an unsightly Catenaccio and two 1-0 wins against Austria in the preliminary round and Belgium in the round of 16, which came about based on owners of the opponent. Portugal defeated France in the quarter -finals after a goalless draw after 120 minutes in the penalty shootout. In the preliminary round, Spain, again on Thursday, was much more superior than the 2-1 win of the later European champion.
France, the land of talented strikers and offensive midfielder, the association, who has a surplus of sensational talents, scored just four goals in six European Championship games-and only two of them themselves. Deschamps was under pressure to justify, his mindless 90s was not only unsightly, but completely fallen out of time. In this respect, the coach’s cancellation announcement in France was recorded with great relief.
Zidane as the successor to Deschamps
The debate about his successor is ultimately none, the name of the potentially new, which is Zinedine Zidane, shone too clearly immediately after Deschamp. The big midfield strategist of yore, like Deschamps world and European champion as a player, is ready for the job. At the end of May, Zidane even became unusually clear: “I feel in the right place with the French national team. Of course it’s a dream, I can’t wait.”
The dream you address is the job of the French coach. Zidane’s coaching career has been suspended since 2021, at that time he said goodbye to Real Madrid, but the will and the desire to continue it was definitely available: “I put my career on hold for a while, but I feel completely as a coach.” Deschamps himself has also positioned itself clearly: “Zizou is a very good and natural candidate and also a person who is expected at this post.”
Zinedine Zidane as the successor to Didier Deschamps?
Official announcement of Zidane must wait
However, the official proclamation must wait. Association President Philippe Dialo wants to present the successor to Deschamps only after the 2026 World Cup in order to let his current coach work in peace. But behind the scenes, Diallo should have been with Zidane.
Deschamps himself finally found the obvious key to an equally successful and offensive game in the quarter-final second leg of the Nations League against Croatia at the end of March. The first match lost in Split in Split with a typical Deschamps defensive formation inhibited and 0: 2 without Esprit.
In the second leg, Deschamps opted for the most obvious, switched from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 and relied on an offensive quartet with Michael Olise from FC Bayern, Dembelé, Barcola and Mbappé. After meetings by Olise and Mbappé, France won 2-0 and after a goalless extension also the penalty shootout.
Dembelé, on the other hand, is currently playing well and now also meets regularly. In 55 games of the season he scored 35 goals, plus 15 assists. Thanks to 31 leagers for Real Madrid, Mbappé won the prestigious “golden shoe”, which the best scorer of the European leagues receives.
Worries about injury On the defensive
Deschamps has to convert his defense against Spain. The central defenders William Saliba and Dayot Upamécano as well as right -back Jules Koundé are missing due to injuries. Lucas Hernandez and Ibrahima Konaté in the center and the 22-year-old Malo Gusto, who has only played an international match at FC Chelsea, are now expected to be expected in these positions.
Deschamps has great respect for Spain, the multi -sung European champion. This time, however, he should make his starting eleven appear much more lively than in the semi -finals of the European Championship. Anything else would be a relapse in times believed.