Didier Deschamps

“There are always crucial, decisive players in every side who make the difference and do not necessarily depend on others.”

“Nobody knows what will happen in the future.”

“History is in the past and tomorrow we will try and write a new page.”

“At the highest level, if you don't have a solid defensive base, you can't get by. In one match, yes. But over a whole competition? No.”

“You always learn, especially in failure.”

“What interests me principally are points.”

“Having fresh players is important.”

“The key thing is knowing how to adapt. Adapting to the group that you have at your disposal; adapting to the place where you're working; adapting to the local environment. This is crucial: adaptability.”

“You can't win anything more special than a World Cup.”

“Sometimes you need to encourage them sometimes even to comfort them, let them know I trust them. Sometimes you need to tell the truth, being more aggressive. That's management. I need to put the players in the best possible conditions.”

“For me, the goal is to make the most of each player, play them in the position they feel best in. And then repeat, repeat, repeat.”

“Messi plays in Spain, we know he makes a difference, but if you've played against him then maybe you're aware of situations that can repeat on the pitch. But Messi is Messi, with his talent, he may send a spark with very little and make the difference. He is unpredictable.”

“Being prudent does not mean being fearful.”

“We must condition the players. They need to get into the right frame of mind in the hours leading up the game.”

“That's what international football is all about - be able to bounce after a bad performance.”

“When you make your final list for the World Cup or European Championship you don't take the 23 best players, that is for sure.”

“There are a lot of Kylians, but only one Kylian Mbappe.”

“One of the main tasks of a manager is psychology.”

“When things are tough, French athletes tend to pull out great performances.”

“Nowadays you never see players playing cards. We used to sit around playing cards together all the time. But I can't fight that, I have to adapt and change.”