France, Didier Deschamps puts family before requests

While Medhi Benatia, former Football Director of Olympique de Marseille, quickly reinvented himself as a sports consultant, Didier Deschamps, the former France manager, chose to step away from the media spotlight to devote himself to his family life.

Shortly after leaving the role of Football Director at Olympique de Marseille, Medhi Benatia took up work as a sports consultant. He was therefore able to appear on Canal+ to comment on the news of the Phocaean club, providing viewers with sharp analysis.

Deschamps declines requests

Since he left the France team's bench after the last World Cup, the 57‑year‑old coach has received numerous offers, according to Le Parisien. Among them, invitations to host conferences at large French companies were declined.

Deschamps preferred to spend time in Brittany, the region where his wife Claude is from, rather than respond to media solicitations. He therefore emphasized the need to regain a family balance after years of international pressure.

The native of Bayonne will not rule out a future bench, but he will not risk giving his opinion on the start of his successor at the helm of the Bleus. With his agent Jean‑Pierre Bernès, “DD” will calmly consider the proposals that arise.

“No, no, I’m not retired! I’m stopping, but I am certainly not retired,” Didier Deschamps said at the beginning of 2025, after confirming that the 2026 World Cup would be his last tournament as manager.