Didier Deschamps Quotes

With the support of all our fans, we have to be stronger than our opponents.

That’s what international football is all about – be able to bounce after a bad performance.

What I can say is that I feel very good as the national team coach. I really enjoy it.

Those friendly games are not pointless. They enable us to go forward.

I’m not immune to disciplinary problems and it’s up to me to make strong choices. It’s my responsibility.

We want to be the best we can.

Kylian is able to do extraordinary things. Look at his stats. He is efficient.

All are welcome in sport.

Messi plays in Spain, we know he makes a difference, but if you‘ve played against him then maybe you’re aware of situations that can repeat on the pitch. But Messi is Messi, with his talent, he may send a spark with very little and make the difference. He is unpredictable.

Nowadays you never see players playing cards. We used to sit around playing cards together all the time. But I can’t fight that, I have to adapt and change.

In football, you don’t hold on to the ball just to hold on to the ball. When you have it you need to be dangerous, create opportunities and score goals. And when you don’t, you make sure the opposition doesn’t.

I’ve always hated to lose and I continue to hate it. But I’ve been obliged to accept it because I also have had some crushing defeats.

Each member of the team must feel important – everyone must make my life and choices difficult.

We must condition the players. They need to get into the right frame of mind in the hours leading up the game.

All the great teams need a real top striker in order to win in Europe.

It’s not just about the words you use, but the way you use them, and the message that puts over. Also your face too and the way you project your message. If you’re telling the group to stay calm, be good, and you have beads of sweat dripping down your forehead, you’re in trouble.

At the highest level, if you don’t have a solid defensive base, you can’t get by. In one match, yes. But over a whole competition? No.

We often compare footballers with players of the past.

I don’t think you just become a leader.

I am not a very good dancer.

I wish Kylian to have the same career as Thierry Henry.

My past as a player is strongly linked to the red, white and blue France shirt.

Benzema is a team player, he is very important for us. He always wants to score with us, but scoring is not everything to him.

There are a lot of Kylians, but only one Kylian Mbappe.

An invitation to the national team is not a declaration of love.

There are a lot of things you can practise to unsettle teams that defend deep.

In tough times, that’s when you see true colours and personality.

Competition is for everyone.

When you’re a coach there’s no age limit. It’s the results that make you last.

We do not do everything perfectly, but the intentions are there.

Sport is a way of uniting people.

I always make decisions for the good of the team of France.

Sometimes you need to encourage them sometimes even to comfort them, let them know I trust them. Sometimes you need to tell the truth, being more aggressive. That’s management. I need to put the players in the best possible conditions.

When you go to a club abroad and play against one from your own country, you are part of the enemy.

What interests me principally are points.

A 3-0 win in the World Cup, it’s never easy.

Being prudent does not mean being fearful.

Creativity is making a good pass at the right time… but it can also come from deeper, there should always be a balance.

It’s quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner.

You need to have discussions and make sure you guide players towards the collective spirit. It can’t be done overnight.

Quality has no age.

Playing an ultra-defensive side is very difficult.

The biggest victories can lead to the greatest foolishness.

My departure from Juve remains a regret, a mistake that taught me one thing – never make an immediate decision, at the end of the season, when everyone is ‘boiling.’ I have paid for such an experience.

Brazil remains a reference to the sport.

Goal-line technology is a good thing. The ref gets the signal and can decide based on that.

Even when things are going well, there are always aspects that can be improved.

Continuity is very important for national teams.

To be in the France team means they have a number of duties and responsibilities.

My players need to have the feeling that they’ve pushed themselves to their limits.

One of the main tasks of a manager is psychology.

We can always play better.

Managing players is harder these days because of the arrival of new technology. They are all using it in their spare time so they become more isolated and selfish. They share less, they talk less. They have apps, their phones and the Internet but they are less used to talking to people.

For a player or coach, there is nothing better than the World Cup.

To build experience, you have to play.

I always ask myself if a decision is in the team’s best interest.

While there is life, there is hope.

Either a player accepts competition or they say they absolutely need to play. For a player to have an open door, I have to have, at the same position, an element that is just as good or even better.