A file picture taken on May 20, 2000 shows Chelsea's French players Franck Leboeuf (L), Marcel Desailly (2nd L), Didier Deschamps (2nd R) and Liberian George Weah (R) celebrating after winning the F.A Cup final at Wembley in London. Photo by AFP

PARIS: France's new coach Didier Deschamps on Monday signed a two year contract with Les Bleus, with an additional two years should he succeed in qualifying the side for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The 43-year-old, who captained France to the 1998 World Cup title and Euro 2000, put pen to paper 24 hours after being named as the successor to Laurent Blanc, who stood down after Euro 2012.

Deschamps, who became the favourite to succeed his fellow World Cup and Euro winning team-mate Blanc when he quit as coach of Marseille last Monday, appeared at a press conference alongside France Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet.

The French football chief confirmed: “He (Deschamps) will be manager for two years with a further two years if we qualify for the World Cup.”

Deschamps, who since hanging up his boots has had spells managing Serie A giants Juventus and Monaco, told the press conference: “The players no longer have the right to make mistakes.”

That comment is a reference to France's implosion after a player mutiny at the 2010 World Cup, and the renewed discord in the camp at Euro 2012 which ended prematurely for Blanc's men when they were beaten by eventual winners Spain in the quarter-finals.

Deschamps' first task will be to prepare the squad for a high profile friendly with Copa America champions and World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay in Le Havre on August 15 while their first World Cup qualifier is against Finland on September 7.

However, with just one automatic qualifying spot up for grabs in the shape of group winners, France face a tough task to take that one as two-time European champions and World Cup holders Spain are in the same group.

Belarus and Georgia are the other two sides.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...