"Facing Holland Without a Head Coach" France's Deschans, Mother's Passing → Rushes Home, Misses Norway Match... Interim System Led by Senior Coach

*This content was translated by AI.

Didier Deschans (58), head coach of the French national football team, will temporarily step down from his coaching duties during the World Cup due to the passing of his mother.

The French Football Federation officially announced on the 24th (Korean time) that "Coach Deschans learned of his mother's passing early today and will return to France to attend the funeral."

As a result, Coach Deschans will miss the final Group I match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Norway on the 27th. The vacancy in the head coach position will be temporarily filled by senior coach Guy Stéphan.

In a statement, the federation expressed, "We offer our deepest condolences to Coach Deschans and his family during this extremely painful and difficult time, and we pledge the support of all members." It remains undecided when Coach Deschans will return to the national team after the funeral.

Under the leadership of Coach Deschans, the French national team has already secured early qualification for the Round of 32 with overwhelming performances in the group stage. France defeated Senegal 3-1 in the first match and then crushed Iraq 3-0 in the second match, securing two consecutive victories.

Notably, Coach Deschans achieved the milestone of his 16th World Cup victory (3 draws, 2 losses) with the win against Iraq. This places him on equal footing with the late Helmut Schön, who led the former Seo Dok (CEO) team during its golden era, tying for the all-time record as the head coach with the most World Cup victories.

Having led the French national team for 14 years since 2012, Coach Deschans has appeared in four consecutive World Cup tournaments, starting with the 2014 Brazil edition. He has left behind brilliant achievements, including winning the 2018 Russia tournament and finishing as runner-up in the 2022 Qatar tournament. He has previously declared that he will step down from his coaching role after this North American tournament.

Amidst this sad news during the "last dance" as the national team's head coach, expressions of condolence from football fans continue to pour in.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.