Didier Deschamps Wife, Family, Height, Weight, Body Measurements

Quick Facts

Ex-French international footballer Didier Deschamps was the captain of the victorious “Golden Generation” France national football team which clinched the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the EURO 2000 trophies. Having also had it good on the club level, Deschamps became the 2nd football captain to lift the UEFA Champions League, the World Cup and the European Championship trophies.

Upon retirement as a professional player in 2001, Didier Deschamps promptly began his coaching career with French Ligue 1 side Monaco. After a highly successful 9-year run managing various club sides all around Europe, Deschamps was named as the coach of the French national team in July 2012. Having led the team to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and the final of the Euro 2012, Didier Deschamps aims to replicate his 1998 World Cup feat as he guides an ambitious French team into the final of the 2018 World Cup in Moscow.

Didier Deschamps as a Player

Didier Claude Deschamps was born on October 15, 1968, in Bayonne, France. As a teenager, he played both rugby and football. While still in school, he started playing football as an amateur with Aviron Bayonnais, a club in his home city of Bayonne. There, he was discovered by scouts from F. C. Nantes and in April 1983, he signed his first contract.

Didier Deschamps spent 2 years in the Nantes youth system before making his league debut as a defensive midfielder in September 1985. The talented youngster spent 4 seasons with the senior side at Nantes F. C. after which he was transferred to Olympique de Marseille in 1989. Deschamps went on to clinch 2 successive Ligue 1 titles (1991 & 1992) with Marseille and also helped the side to a historic Champions League trophy in 1993, the first and only ever recorded by a French side.

Having conquered French football, Didier Deschamps took on a new challenge as he joined Italian side Juventus in 1994. There, he took his winning streak a notch higher, claiming 3 Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, 2 Italian Supercups, another Champions League title, a UEFA Super Cup plus 1 Intercontinental Cup in 1996. After his brilliant 5-year stint with the Italian club, Deschamps joined English side Chelsea F. C. where he helped them to an FA Cup title in 2000. He eventually played his final season with Spanish La Liga side Valencia, helping them reach the final of the 2001 UEFA Champions League. In 2001, 32-year old Didier Deschamps announced his retirement as a football player.

On the international front, Didier Deschamps earned his first call-up to the French national team in April 1989. After failing to qualify for the 2 consecutive world cup tournaments (1990 and 1994) and suffering a woeful outing at the Euro 1992, the entire team underwent a major overhaul in the buildup to the Euro 96 tournament. Fortunately, Deschamps was one of the few remaining veterans and he was named as captain of what is now known as the “Golden Generation” of French football. After leading the team to an impressive semifinal finish at Euro 96, Didier Deschamps also captained France to claim the 1998 World Cup on home soil. A leader extraordinaire, Deschamps maintained this momentum as he captained France to win the Euro 2000. Deciding to leave when the ovation was loudest, Didier Deschamps announced his retirement from international football at the end of the tournament.

Coaching Career

Didier Deschamps swiftly began his football coaching career as head coach of AS Monaco in 2001. During his 4-year stint with the club, Deschamps helped them to a Coupe de la Ligue title (2003) as well as their first UEFA Champions League final in 2004. Following his departure from Monaco in 2005, Deschamps returned to his former club Juventus at the start of the 2006/07 season. During his one-season stint with Juve, Deschamps helped the club win the Italian Serie B title which ushered them back to top-flight Italian football. After 2 seasons away from any coaching position, Didier Deschamps joined another former club Olympique de Marseille in May 2009. During his spell at Marseille, Deschamps ended the club’s 17-year title drought as he helped them win 6 titles in 3 years.

Following his impressive coaching track record, Didier Deschamps was appointed as head coach of the French national team on July 8, 2012. Under his guidance, the team has reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup, the final of Euro 2016 as well as the final of 2018 World Cup where Deschamps hopes to create even more history.

Wife, Family

Just like his sterling professional career, Didier Deschamps equally has it good on the home front. The French-born football maestro is currently married to his wife of nearly 3 decades Claude Deschamps. The couple met way back in 1986 when Didier’s career was at its budding stage and Claude was studying speech therapy. They officially tied the knot in 1989. Several years and several victories later, the couple are still together and waxing very strong. Theirs is a pretty small family as they have only one child together. The couple welcomed their first child in 1996, a son named Dylan.

Height and Other Body Measurement

Didier Deschamps stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches (169 cm). The ex-French international has maintained a trim physique with a body weight of 71 kg (157 lbs).

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