Deschamps: France will not win the World Cup
By Stefan Coerts
Apr 16, 2014 10:00:00 AM
The 45-year-old feels les Bleus are no longer one of the elite sides in international football and has dismissed the idea he is 'the French Jose Mourinho'
Didier Deschamps does not believe that France are among the favourites to win the 2014 World Cup and has downplayed expectations ahead of this summer's tournament.
Les Bleus were eliminated in the group stages during the 2010 World Cup and only qualified for the finals in Brazil after beating Ukraine in the play-offs and head coach Deschamps feels France are no longer one of the elite national sides in the world.
"There are six or seven teams out there that head into the competition to win it, but France are not among those teams," Deschamps told RMC.
"Our first objective is to win our opening game against Honduras on June 15.
"The last time France won a World Cup group-stage match was against Togo in 2006. We are no longer among the elite teams in Europe or worldwide.
"I am a realist and keeping my feet on the ground. Is France's level that of the first leg against Ukraine or that of the return? We have to rely on what we did in the second game and try and replicate that each match."
Deschamps then went on to laugh off suggestions that he is the French equivalent of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
"Am I the French Mourinho? No, no," he added.
"I have talked with great coaches like Mourinho and [Vicente] del Bosque and they have had their fair share of luck, too. You need a lot of things to go your way. And you have to believe in yourself in difficult situations."
