The head coach proved he can still play a bit and set up a couple of chances before finding the net himself in a small-sided game
Didier Deschamps has still got it.
His playing days may be long over, but the former Juventus and Marseille star hasn’t lost his touch completely, even though he’s made the move to the touchline as a manager.
With his France side having cruised through a Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania on Saturday, in which Kingley Coman scored twice in a 4-1 win, Deschamps was back on the training pitch on Sunday getting work in with the French stars who did not take part in Saturday’s match.
With only the limited group available, it seems the 50-year-old was called back into action, putting on his playing boots to join in a training game.
In a video released by the French national team on Twitter, Deschamps sets up one goal with a nice outlet pass, tees-up another with a fine first-time flick and then finds the net himself with a well-placed header.
Didier Deschamps a rechaussé les crampons pendant l’entraînement de ce matin au lendemain de la victoire 4-1 face à l’Albanie ! #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/1Pqg1Vi3b7
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 8, 2019
His days of running the midfield may be over, but at least Deschamps can still show the young guys like Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi that he’s still got a little something in the tank.
As for the rest of the squad, their Euro qualifying campaign is going smoothly enough.
France have picked up four wins from five matches, the only loss coming to Turkey back in June.
But the path to qualification isn’t exactly straight forward.
Despite the strong start, the 2018 World Cup winners find themselves level on points at the top of Group H with both Iceland and Turkey, with the former having beaten the latter, while losing to the French.
Deschamps and France will finish the current international window on Tuesday with a clash against Andorra, but will have an eye on the next round of fixtures, when they face Iceland and Turkey in back-to-back matches that will likely decide which side finished top of the group.
Turkey and Iceland will face off in November in the other critical match in Group H.
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