World Cup-winning French manager Didier Deschamps missed his team’s Group I finale against Norway on Friday at Boston Stadium to attend the funeral of his mother, who died earlier this week.
The French national side, led by Deschamps’ longtime assistant Guy Stephan against Norway, had its FIFA request to wear black armbands in honor of its manager’s mother rejected. A moment of silence took place before Friday’s World Cup clash in Boston, but not for Deschamps’ mother. Instead, the tribute honored the over 900 victims of the devastating earthquake in Venezuela this week.
Deschamps received news of his mother Ginette’s death on Tuesday and departed the team’s camp for France. French supporters let out a loud cheer when the manager was read alongside the starting lineup.
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“Didier Deschamps will not be able to oversee training sessions ahead of the Norway v France match. He will also be absent from the bench for Friday’s final Group I game,” the French Football Federation said in a statement earlier this week. “At this incredibly painful time, we wish the head coach great strength and assure him of everyone’s support.”
Stephan served under Deschamps as an assistant at Marseille for three years before joining the national side in 2012. Together, the pair claimed the 2018 World Cup title and reached the finals at the 2022 tournament and the 2016 Euros.
In a conversation with The Athletic earlier this week, Stephan revealed that he and Deschamps share an almost telepathic bond.
“We understand each other,” Stephan said. “We don’t even need to speak anymore. A glance is enough when we’re out on the pitch or at a training session; if something needs changing or tweaking, we just look at each other and – boom – it’s as if we’d actually spoken.
“That’s the strength of the time we’ve spent together – 17 years. We don’t always agree – not always… we talk things through, but once a decision is made, it’s made.”
Stephan previously stepped in for Deschamps when he guided Les Blues against Denmark in June 2022 following the passing of the France coach’s father. Friday represented the 69-year-old’s major tournament debut as head coach, and Ousmane Dembele settled any early jitters by finding the net in just the seventh minute. He went on to score a hat-trick in the 4-1 win.
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