Deschamps-Löw, summit meeting

Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French team, and Joachim Löw, his German counterpart, talk about the postponement of the Euro and the state of their team and their football. An exclusive and fascinating interview.

It was a shock that awaited the French team this evening in Munich. For their first match of UEFA Euro 2020, Les Bleus, 2018 World Champions, should have faced the Germans, 2014 World Champions, on their home ground. But the Covid-19 epidemic has forced the European authorities to postpone this long-awaited tournament by one year (from June 11 to July 11, 2021). A decision that Didier Deschamps sees as fair, like Joachim Löw. Rivals when their teams clash, the French coach and his German counterpart (60 years old, coach since July 12, 2006, or 181 matches) are often on the same wavelength and have a great deal of mutual respect and deep and reciprocal admiration for each other. These feelings are clear in the interview they gave us.

Mr Deschamps, Mr Löw, your teams should have competed against each other this evening at Euro 2020 in Munich, but the coronavirus crisis has changed everything. How are you living through these troubled times?

Joachim Löw: At the beginning of the year, no one would have thought that they would experience what has been going on for weeks and months now. Not only in France and Germany, but all over the world. I hope from the bottom of my heart that the French are doing well; the ties between the Germans and French are special, and not only in terms of football. There are strong links, despite the rivalry that exists. The world is still holding its breath in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the importance of football for many of us, the Euro simply could not take place this summer. Health comes first.

Didier Deschamps: We are going through an exceedingly difficult period. Football is especially important for many people, to varying degrees and for different reasons. But in a situation like the one we found ourselves in, it was quite normal that the priority was health. The decision to postpone the Euro by one year is therefore logical. This competition deserves to be played under normal conditions. With fans from each team in the stadium.

"I admire Joachim's
career path"

Didier DESCHAMPS

You will therefore have to wait, one as well as the other, before facing each other for the eighth time as coach of France and Germany...

Joachim Löw: It is sad not to be able to experience the sensation of a European championship match against reigning World Champion France. There would not be a free seat in stadium, and the whole continent would be watching us. I love this kind of match, especially against a world-class opponent, with a world-class coach at its head. I would have liked to warmly greet Didier, whom I appreciate enormously, both athletically and humanly. Beyond the rivalry, one can only rejoice in facing one of the best teams in the world.

Didier Deschamps: We had all prepared for this deadline, but we will have to wait a year to meet again. It would be indecent to complain about it in view of what the virus has caused or continues to cause to many people around the world. This setback does not in any way diminish my esteem for Joachim. He was criticised after the 2018 World Cup, as often happens to a coach after a failure. Do you think that Joachim, who was the best in 2014, could have become the worst four years later? Personally, I do not think so. His record is very much in his favour. With Joachim, the competence is there, there is no doubt about it. I admire his career, which led him to the world title in 2014. On a human level, he is accessible, friendly, and has always shown humility. The friendly match on November 13, 2015 has strengthened our ties. During the hours following the attacks near the Stade de France and in Paris, we were keen, with President Le Graët, to stay with the German delegation in the changing rooms until they returned home. We lived through this dramatic event together. I have not forgetten it and I know that Joachim has not forgetten it either. Those hours and minutes were very long. We were no longer opponents. We were together, sharing our worries. With Germany, we there is a rivalry but also a relationship of brotherhood.

(Photo John Macdougall/AFP)

How do you envisage the next few months?

Joachim Löw: The important thing is that we all come out of this crisis together. In my opinion, football has shown that it is aware of its responsibility and its role in society. I am sure of one thing: one day we will all enjoy being able to meet again in the stadium, to experience great moments such as European Cup matches. I am very much looking forward to being on the pitch again with the team, which will enter the tournament in 2021 with great enthusiasm and the desire to win. We have a young team, with whom we are banking on renewal. We want to mature, and I hope that we will continue to progress. One thing is certain: in 2021, France will still be one of the best teams on the planet.

Didier Deschamps: We still do not know the fourth team that will join us in our group, but with Germany and Portugal, we are already well served. The first match is always important in a competition; not decisive but important. When that first match pits you against Germany, it is not necessarily obvious. So, Germany in Germany... We are talking about a great team, which has evolved since 2018 with the emergence of a new generation.

"Didier was an exceptional player, a leader who always
wanted to win everything. This is visible in his team"

Joachim LÖW

This match would have been a duel between the 2018 and 2014 World Champions. Had you already started to observe the opponent?

Joachim Löw: We started analysing the French team as soon as the draw was made on November 30, 2019. But with France, there is no point in going into details. France remains France. It is ranked high in the world. It still has an incredibly good team and is still one of the best nations in Europe and the world. The names of the players alone speak for themselves. From Fontaine, Platini, Giresse, Tigana, Vieira, Henry, Lizarazu, to Pogba, Kanté, Griezmann, Coman or Mbappé. And Deschamps, of course (laughs). Didier was an exceptional player. A leader, who always wanted to win. He exuded an incomparable winning mentality. This is visible in his team. All these great names play with passion, lightness, power, speed, dynamism, and precision. I love to see them play. Through the UEFA Nations League, we have played against each other several times lately. Facing us at the Euro, France does not need to hide, quite the contrary.

Didier Deschamps: Germany has evolved. Joachim made strong and courageous choices by deciding to renew a team that had won a lot. He felt it needed fresh blood. It is never easy to do without players who are still active and who can still perform well in their club. He had to make difficult choices. From what I have observed, Germany has lost experience but that does not mean that it has lost quality. Germany remains Germany, with great players who play for great clubs. Power remains one of its big strengths, but its game perhaps offers more variety, more creativity.

(Photo Patrick Stollarz/AFP)

In recent weeks you have not been able to work in the field. On the other hand, you have been able to work on paper. How has this been working for you?

Joachim Löw: We are lucky to be able to watch our Bundesliga players again. I am pleased to see them in such good shape. They show a lot of desire and are delighted to be able to play again. Among the staff we talk a lot about the performance of our players. But also, about our philosophy, our game plan, which is the basis of everything. I have already often mentioned that our victories should not be achieved solely through combat and intensity, which characterised the Germans' game in the past. Didier can testify to this. Our ambition is to complement this "German-style" of play with elegance and beautiful football. We want to score goals, keep the ball, play boldly, and win. We are constantly working on this. Above all, however, we hope of course to be able to play international matches again next autumn. 

Didier Deschamps: There were no matches for several weeks. However, most of our work consists in supervising the players in all the clubs and championships. We keep in touch with the staff to exchange and project ourselves on our opponents in the UEFA Nations League since Euro 2020 will only come afterwards. We are part of the continuity without closing any doors. The question is always the same when we have managed to win with a certain way. Can we continue to win by playing the same way with the same players? Yes, but that is not certain. A coach is always thinking about what he can change, what he can develop to remain successful. There is no one way to win. You do not need to change for the sake of change. But you always have to think about it. I am always thinking about being ready to activate a different option, if the need arises.

"If Germany looks at what we are doing,
it is because we have done a good job"

Didier DESCHAMPS

It is no secret that Germany closely observes and particularly appreciates the progress of French football. The FFF has its own technical centre in Clairefontaine, while the DFB is in the process of building its own, which should be up and running by the end of 2021. How do such facilities benefit athletic progress?

Joachim Löw: They offer optimal conditions. In 2018, France certainly benefited from the training and opportunities offered by Clairefontaine. We are very satisfied to see German football moving in the same direction. With our academy, we will have our own sports venue and internal communication will be strengthened. It is important for Germany that both the elite and grassroots football benefit equally, and that football as a whole develops. The DFB Academy will be a centre of competence for us, dedicated to the further development of our teams. We are already trying to apply some of its principles. We feel that we are in a phase of transformation.

Didier Deschamps: Clairefontaine is the home of French football, not just the home of the France National team. Our medical centre ensures that the injured receive the best possible care. We train our technical staff, our referees, and our young players at the National Football Institute (INF), dedicated to pre-training. However, training is essential. It is a high-performance sector in France. Joachim will not contradict me, as German clubs are drawing more and more from the French pool. The survival of French clubs depends on training. Germany is not concerned, which does not prevent the Germans from thinking about training. If Germany is looking at what we are doing, it is because we have done a good job. Generally speaking, there are always good ideas to be taken from elsewhere. You always have to look at what is being done there for inspiration, rather than copying, because not everything can be transposed."

(Photo Franck Fife/AFP)