Deschamps' last match, Zidane arrival being finalised

Deschamps' last dance: bronze on the line Saturday

France play England in the World Cup third-place playoff Saturday, and it is Didier Deschamps' final match in charge (1) (3). A bronze medal is not what anyone came for. But after the Spain semifinal, it is what is left.

Deschamps will step off having taken your team to four straight semifinals. That run closes with a game nobody wants to play, against an England side your team beat at the last World Cup (1).

Zidane deal being finalised before end of July

Zinedine Zidane's appointment as the next France manager is being wrapped up. RMC Sport report the final details are being settled, with the deal expected done before the end of July (2).

The handover from Deschamps to Zidane has been the open secret of this tournament. Now the paperwork is catching up.

Fan-reaktioner

The mood is deflated but not bitter. One thread on r/soccer put it bluntly: "We don't even realise how spoilt we are." Three semifinals in a row, and the older supporters remember when that was unthinkable. Another post tallied third-place playoff history ahead of Saturday's match, where France have a chance to add a second bronze to their 1958 medal. Read the discussion here