Deschamp beats three in a row champions league winner Zidane to win FIFA Best Men’s Coach
Didier Deschamps has won the FIFA Best Men’s Coach award after leading France to World Cup glory.
Deschamps was included on a three-man shortlist and saw off competition from former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and the coach of beaten World Cup finalists Croatia, Zlatko Dalic.
Deschamps was criticised in the build-up to Russia 2018 for his perceived negative tactics, but after a sluggish group stage he guided his team to victories over Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium in the knockout stages before beating Croatia 4-2 in a dramatic final.
He inherits the award from 2017 winner Zidane, who left Madrid after guiding them to a third consecutive Champions League in May.
Congratulations, Didier Deschamps
Winner of #TheBest FIFA Men’s Coach 2018 #FIFAFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/fGPE4tOMaL
— #TheBest (@FIFAcom) September 24, 2018
“I want first to thank Zinedine Zidane and the Croatian coach who could and should have won this award tonight,” Deschamps said.
“I want to thank the president of the French federation [Noel Le Graet] who trusts me and helps me work serenely.
“We all know that being a coach alone, we can’t do anything. We are nothing without our players. I want to thank the whole team. They worked to get me here tonight. I want to thank my whole staff.”
