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#3 Didier Deschamps
Deschamps is one of France's greatest players. He plied his trade as a defensive midfielder and was a great leader. He played for clubs like Marseille and Juventus, where he was very successful. Deschamps was the youngest captain to lead his team to the Champions League title, with Marseille in 1993. He also won two Ligue 1 titles with the French club and eventually moved to Juventus.
In Italy, Deschamps success continued as he lifted three Serie A titles and another Champions League title. He spent five years in Turin before he brought an end to his club career with short spells at Chelsea and Valencia.
Deschamps coaching career began with AS Monaco and spent four years with the Principality side as they reached the Champions League final in 2004. He then went to Juventus, where he played an important role in their history despite staying there for only one season.
Juve was embroiled in the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, which led them being stripped off their Serie A title and being relegated. Deschamps arrived at this crucial period were Juve were at their lowest and weakest. They had to sell off many of their first team players but Deschamps led the Old Lady back to Serie A in just one season.
But Deschamps manager career took off where it all started for him as a player. He was back at Marseille and he led them to their first Ligue 1 title in 18 years. Marseille also won Copa de la Ligue three years in a row, marking a period of success for both Deschamps and the Stade Velodrome outfit.
Like his club career, Deschamps's International career was also a success. He represented his country in over 100 matches and captained his nation to the World Cup in 1998 and the Euro in 2000. His success in Marseille as manager prompted the French Football Federation to hire him as their manager after the Euro 2012. Deschamps led his side to the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup and into the finals of the 2016 Euros, losing to Portugal in extra-time.
Deschamps though had the last laugh as he led his nation to the World Cup title in 2018, becoming one of the few players to win the title as player and coach. This was 20 years after France won the trophy in 1998, which Deschamps lifted.
Deschamps was a leader on the field and has shown he is also one off it. While his 1998 World Cup win cemented his place as France's greatest players, the win in 2018 surely makes him one of France's greatest coaches as well.
