Didier Deschamps accepted full responsibility after France suffered a 6-4 defeat to England in the FIFA World Cup third place match.
The result marked the end of Deschamps’ 14 year spell as France coach. His final match in charge ended with France finishing fourth after a dramatic game in Miami.
France went into the break trailing 4 0. They fought back in the second half but could not complete the comeback.
Deschamps said his team’s first half display was not good enough.
“It was a defeat and we were 4 0 down. Our first half was unacceptable,” he said.
“We reacted after the break and played the way we know we can. We had chances to make it 4 4, but we pushed forward and left spaces.”
The France coach said he was responsible for the poor start.
“It is my fault because I did not do what was needed before the first half,” he said.
Deschamps admitted France arrived at the World Cup hoping to win another title. He was disappointed that the team fell short of that goal.
“We wanted to finish third. We came here with a lot of ambition,” he said.
“We lost to Spain in the semi final. They were better than us. But this group has quality and enough talent to achieve good results.”
Even with the disappointing finish, Deschamps said he would remember the journey with pride.
“On a human level, it was a beautiful adventure. We spent eight weeks together and it was special,” he said.
The French Football Federation also paid tribute to the 57 year old coach.
The federation praised his leadership, discipline and commitment to the national team. It said he helped France regain respect and remain among the strongest teams in world football.
Deschamps coached France in 185 matches and won 120 of them.
He guided the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title and the 2021 UEFA Nations League trophy. France also reached the finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup under his leadership.
Before becoming coach, Deschamps captained France to their first World Cup title in 1998 and won the European Championship in 2000.
He also became one of the few people to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach.
Although his final match ended in defeat, Deschamps leaves with a legacy that made France one of the leading teams in international football.
