Deschamps Mourns Death of His Mother, Rabiot: "It's a Shock, But He Doesn't Want to Show It to the Team"
July 1, 2026 · Global
Adrien Rabiot talks about coach Deschamps' return after losing his mother, as the French team prepares for their World Cup clash with Sweden.
While Brazil is struggling to win against Japan to qualify for the last 16, Adrien Rabiot and the French team are preparing to face Sweden in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup. This is an important moment for the French team, and Rabiot does not miss the opportunity to provide support to coach Deschamps who has just experienced a loss.
Deschamps traveled back to the national team camp after his mother passed away. "It was very difficult when he announced his mother was leaving and had to leave. This was a surprise for us," said Rabiot. "We're happy to see him back. It's not easy to deal with grief in these conditions, but this is football and he's back with the enthusiasm to do his best and get as far as possible."
Rabiot also said that the team was trying to provide support to Deschamps. "He's been very affected, but I think he's trying not to show us too much so as not to affect the team's mood. The whole team is together, we understand what he's going through and we'll try to give him a bit of peace."
Deschamps and the French team are now facing huge pressure after losing the previous World Cup final against Argentina in 2022. Rabiot emphasized the importance of pressure management. "We sleep well, we manage pressure well. We play cards, talk a lot among ourselves in small groups. This also makes us have good cohesion."
However, they must remain vigilant. "Experience is very valuable. We have to be very careful, take every match seriously and not let our guard down. We once had a moment where we were too relaxed against Switzerland and it paid off. Anything can happen in a match, and that is the beauty of football. We learn from that experience so as not to repeat the same mistakes. We have prepared well for this match and will finalize the final details so that we can face this match calmly. We are very serious about preparing for every match.