Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national team, has expressed his willingness to consider coaching a club in the Saudi “Roshen” Professional League.
The French newspaper “L’Équipe” reported that Al-Ittihad Club, which includes the French stars Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté, is showing great interest in signing Deschamps.
The newspaper stated that the French coach is currently focused on his duties with the national team and will make his decision regarding his future after the end of the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In an interview with the “Téléfoot” program on TF1, on the sidelines of the announcement of the French national team’s squad for November, Deschamps raised speculation about his next destination, saying: “I have received some contacts (from Saudi clubs), but I will not mention names, but they know my situation.”
He added: “Once I make a decision, and I will not back down from it, that’s clear, I will be available after the specified deadlines, and I do not rule out anything.”
Deschamps has been the coach of the French national team since the summer of 2012, succeeding Laurent Blanc, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup title as a player.
Deschamps, 57 years old, has led his country in 173 matches, during which he achieved 111 victories, compared to 32 draws and 30 losses. The team scored 368 goals, while conceding 164 goals.
In terms of titles, Deschamps won the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League with the French national team, in addition to the silver medal at Euro 2016 in France, the silver medal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the bronze medal at the 2025 UEFA Nations League in Germany.
Blow
In addition to the news of negotiations with a Saudi team, Deschamps received a blow before the French national team’s camp for November, as he had to make an adjustment to the team’s squad.
The French national team is preparing to host Ukraine and then face Azerbaijan on November 13 and 16, within the fifth and sixth rounds of Group D in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Before the start of the camp, Deschamps was forced to exclude Randal Kolo Muani, the Tottenham Hotspur striker, due to a fractured jaw, and called up Florian Thauvin, the Lens player, to replace him in the national team squad.
Deschamps had chosen a squad of 24 players for the matches against Ukraine and Azerbaijan, which came as follows:
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier (Paris Saint-Germain), Mike Maignan (Milan), Brice Samba (Stade Rennais).
Defense: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal Saudi), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).
Midfield: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), N’Golo Kanté (Al-Ittihad), Manu Koné (Roma), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain).
Attack: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool), Randal Kolo Muani (Tottenham), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), and Christopher Nkunku (Milan).
The French national team is suffering from several absences due to injuries, most notably Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué from Paris Saint-Germain.
A crisis had erupted between Paris Saint-Germain and the French Football Federation, after the Parisian club accused Deschamps of causing Dembélé’s injury to worsen.
Dembélé is absent from the French national team in the November camp, after a new injury to his leg muscle, which he suffered during the loss against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Benzema’s enemy
Over the years, the relationship between Karim Benzema and Deschamps has evolved into one of the most complex relationships in French football, with the dispute turning into an open conflict.
The crisis began in 2015, when Benzema was excluded from the French national team due to his involvement in the “blackmail of Mathieu Valbuena” case.
Despite the passage of years, Deschamps remained committed to his decision, considering that Benzema was not compatible with the “values of the French national team.”
However, with Benzema’s brilliance at Real Madrid, public and media pressure escalated, and Deschamps found himself forced to call him up again before Euro 2020, in a move described as a “temporary truce.”
But after the 2022 World Cup, the crisis flared up again, after Benzema hinted that his exclusion was not for medical reasons, but rather a technical decision by Deschamps.
At that time, Benzema wrote on his accounts: “Deschamps is a liar.. you are the reason,” and the cold war between the two parties returned to the public.
Since then, there has been no indication that things will return to normal, until Benzema announced his retirement from international football.
Uncertain future
Benzema’s future with Al-Ittihad seems to be one of the most ambiguous files, given the ambiguity surrounding his position after the end of the current season.
The contract that Benzema signed in the summer of 2023 extends until June 2026, amid reports indicating the possibility of his departure.
This situation makes his future open to all possibilities; either renewing and continuing the Saudi experience, or retiring quietly, or even returning to Europe through the gate of Benfica of Portugal, which is led by Mourinho, who seeks to strengthen his ranks with Benzema’s experience.
Although Benzema showed glimpses of his usual brilliance in some matches, his current season has not lived up to expectations.
Also, his relationship with the administration was not good, amid news of tension due to public criticism and lack of harmony with some of his teammates.
All these data make the coming months decisive in determining his fate.
