Deschamps Stresses Adaptation as Crucial to Avoid Being an 'Old Fool'

In a recent interview with AFP France national team manager Didier Deschamps revealed the necessity of adjusting his methods to suit the younger cohort of athletes rather than enforcing his own views to prevent being labelled an 'old fool'.

The 56 year old having triumphed in the World Cup as both a player in 1998 and as a manager in 2018 has led the French squad since 2012 He noted that even within this period there has been a noticeable shift in the conduct and disposition of emerging talents.

'Contemporary athletes exhibit greater self assurance and belief in their abilities' Deschamps shared with AFP this week prior to upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Azerbaijan on Friday and Iceland on Monday.

'In the past younger athletes would follow instructions without question'

'Nowadays they possess greater comfort due to starting their development earlier gaining experience at a younger age and maturing more quickly.'

Previously being selected for the national team was sufficient for many but current players have elevated aspirations This requires coaches to adopt new strategies in their interactions Deschamps explained.

'It resembles the corporate environment where a new entrant feels empowered to approach their superior and express ambition for their position This attitude may be viewed as either excessive confidence or as a sign of drive' he commented.

Although Deschamps feels that 'some aspects of the past were superior' he concedes that certain practices like prohibiting mobile devices in locker rooms are no longer feasible.

'Today's players are deeply immersed in digital connectivity they practically grow up with mobile devices' he noted.

'Adapting to their needs is essential for me' he emphasised.

Deschamps mentioned that the attention span of younger athletes is 'somewhat constrained' necessitating a more customised coaching approach.

'I opt for brevity and clarity I avoid becoming mere background noise as I want their full attention' he stated.

'By adjusting to athletes who continually become younger in comparison to myself one can strike the right balance between avoiding becoming an outdated figure and appearing inauthentically youthful' he concluded.