Moscow: Didier Deschamps said France were ‘swimming in happiness’ after his players interrupted his post-World Cup final press conference, dancing and showering their manager in drinks as they celebrated their 4-2 win over Croatia here, Sunday.
The coach was about to start speaking when the squad came into the room packed full of journalists at the Luzhniki Stadium, with defender Benjamin Mendy leading the celebrations as he danced with his shirt off.
Deschamps then tried to compose himself to give his view on France’s second World Cup triumph – he was the captain of the team that won the trophy in 1998 by beating Brazil 3-0 in Paris.
“My story is linked to that of the players. I had the immense privilege and happiness to experience that as a player 20 years ago, and it was in France as well so it will remain with me forever. But what they have done today (Sunday) is just as big and just as beautiful,” said the Frenchman.
It was so painful at the Euro 2016 (when France lost to Portugal 0-1 in the final), but maybe if we had won it we would not have won the World Cup
Didier Deschamps
The coach knows what the future will be like for this generation of World Cup winners, who will go down in history books like the team of Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane two decades ago.
“There are two things that matter – one is that these 23 players are now together for life, whatever happens, and also that from now on they will not be the same again, because they are World Champions. To be champions of the world as professional footballers, there is nothing better,” he added.
Deschamps becomes just the third man to win the World Cup as a player and a coach, following in the footsteps of Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer before him.
