Didier Deschamps, birth of a great trainer in the Principality

Fifteen years running on the football fields did not exhaust the passion of Didier Deschamps when he hung up his boots in Valence (Spain), in 2001. The thirty-something has never been the type to rest or take good times in Ibiza, like some of his fellow world champions in 1998. His retraining is immediate.

It is on the Côte d’Azur that “la Dèche” swaps his footballer shorts for a coach’s costume. A suit supposed to be tailor-made for someone who has always been a leader among his teammates. He was appointed coach of AS Monaco (ASM), where he landed with a team made in Italia, alongside Juventus Turin.

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If there is nothing surprising to see Didier Deschamps sit on a bench, the place chosen for his debut is a little more so. Marcel Viano, supporter and living memory of ASM, says: “When Doctor Campora [président du club, de 1976 à 2003] named him, it was a real surprise. He had never coached and he had played for OM. Our rival with whom we had clashed for years for the title, plus the doubts about the Tapie years… ”

Player (from 1969 to 1982) and assistant to many Monegasque coaches (Arsène Wenger, Jean Tigana or Claude Puel), Jean Petit is a historical figure of the club. From his position of observer of the opposing teams, he attends the first days of the novice in the form of hazing. Monaco ends in a sad 14e place in the championship and Deschamps the winner learns in defeat. Blame it on the strategic differences with Jean-Louis Campora. “The president had been there for twenty-five years and knew all of Monaco. Didier was arriving, resit Jean Petit. There had been the recruitment of Campora, he wanted to make his own. We ended up with a huge traffic jam of players, including big personalities. The results were bad because there were too many of us. “

A second chance thanks to the support of the palace

The young coach must survive a slingshot led by ex-AC Milan star Italy’s Marco Simone. Recruited in 2002 by Monaco, one year after the nomination of the world champion, Jérôme Rothen provides details: “Didier had problems managing the group, with strong heads who were not in Monaco for the right reasons. There was friction with these elders. “

In June 2002, Didier Deschamps went to nothing to take the door but was lucky to be in the small papers of the palace. “One day, Didier invited me to lunch. We have discussed. I had to meet with a group that wanted to push it aside. Finally, I was not part of it, says Jean Petit, who becomes his deputy. Prince Albert supported him: “You are in charge.” From there it worked. “

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