1. Didier Deschamps played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, England and Spain, namely Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea and Valencia, as well as Nantes and Bordeaux.
32 Facts About Didier Deschamps
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On 8 July 2012, Didier Deschamps was named as the new manager of the France national team.
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Didier Deschamps led the team to the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the final of UEFA Euro 2016, victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and a back-to-back final appearance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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Didier Deschamps follows Beckenbauer as only the second to do so as captain.
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Didier Deschamps was born in Bayonne, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, in the French part of the Basque Country.
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Didier Deschamps's potential was spotted by scouts from Nantes, for whom he signed in April 1983.
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Didier Deschamps then spent a season on loan with Bordeaux in 1990, before returning to Marseille.
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In 1994, Didier Deschamps joined Italian club Juventus, with whom he won three Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana, as well as his second Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup in 1996; he reached two more Champions League finals in his next two seasons, and a UEFA Cup final in 1995.
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Didier Deschamps finished his playing career in Spain, spending a season with Valencia, helping them to the 2001 UEFA Champions League final, but he remained on the bench as they lost to Bayern Munich.
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Didier Deschamps then retired in the middle of 2001, only 32 years old.
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Didier Deschamps first captained France in 1996 in a friendly match against Germany as a warmup for Euro 96.
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In 1998, Didier Deschamps captained France as they won the 1998 World Cup on home soil in Paris, holding an integral role in the team.
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At the time of his retirement Didier Deschamps held the record for the most appearances for France, though this has since been surpassed by Hugo Lloris, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry.
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In total, Didier Deschamps earned 103 caps and scored four goals.
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Didier Deschamps was named by Pele as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
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Didier Deschamps had an excellent positional and organisational sense, and was known for his tactical intelligence, versatility, and his leadership as a footballer.
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Didier Deschamps was appointed head coach of Monaco in France's Ligue 1, leading the club to the Coupe de la Ligue title in 2003 and to its first UEFA Champions League final in 2004.
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Didier Deschamps resigned on 19 September 2005 after a poor start to the season, and disagreement with the club's president.
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On 10 July 2006, Didier Deschamps was named head coach of Juventus, after Fabio Capello resigned in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal.
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Later that evening, after the game against Mantova, which confirmed Juve as Serie B champions, Didier Deschamps confirmed to the media that he had indeed resigned and the news was then made official by Juventus a few hours later.
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On 5 May 2009, it was announced that Didier Deschamps would be named manager of Marseille to the upcoming season which began on 1 July 2009.
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On 29 June 2010, Didier Deschamps signed a contract extension that would keep him at Marseille until June 2012.
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On 8 July 2012, Didier Deschamps was appointed as head coach of the France national football team on a two-year contract, following in the footsteps of France teammate Laurent Blanc, who resigned after the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.
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On 20 November 2013, Didier Deschamps extended his contract to coach the France national team until the UEFA Euro 2016.
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The extension was triggered under the terms of an agreement reached with the French Football Federation when Didier Deschamps replaced Laurent Blanc after the UEFA Euro 2012, whereby qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup would earn Didier Deschamps the right to lead France until the Euro 2016 to be held in France.
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On 31 October 2017, Didier Deschamps signed a new contract until 2020.
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In December 2019, Didier Deschamps signed a new contract with France, keeping him with the national team until World Cup 2022.
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Didier Deschamps was criticized for getting his team selections and tactics wrong.
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In January 2025, Didier Deschamps announced that he would not extend his contract when it expires after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Didier Deschamps brings understanding and pragmatism, common sense and adaptability; the same qualities that served him so well as a player in midfields with more glamorous talents.
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Didier Deschamps used centre-forward Olivier Giroud as a false-9 who used his physicality to create space and chances for forwards Antoine Griezmann and Mbappe, giving them the freedom to generate opportunities and score, in a similar manner to Stephane Guivarc'h, who was Didier Deschamps's teammate in the victorious French 1998 World Cup side.
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Didier Deschamps is first cousin with retired professional tennis player and 1998 Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat.