Former captain expected to replace Blanc as coach
Last Updated: July 7, 2012 9:38pm
Didier Deschamps: Former Marseille boss held talks on Saturday about becoming France coach
Sky Bet
Former France captain Didier Deschamps is a step closer to being named the new national team coach following a meeting in Paris.
Deschamps, who left his position as Marseille boss at the start of the week, has been the strong favourite to take charge of Les Bleus since Laurent Blanc stepped down after France's Euro 2012 elimination.
French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet met with Deschamps on Saturday to discuss the prospect of succeeding his former team-mate Blanc.
"Noel Le Graet, president of the French Football Federation, and Didier Deschamps met in Paris on Saturday," a statement on the FFF's website read.
"They engaged in a discussion on possible terms of contract to be the coach of the France team."
Difficult
Deschamps, who captained France to their 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 triumphs, guided Marseille to one Ligue 1 title and a record three successive League Cups in as many years on the south coast.
The 43-year-old, who has also previously managed Juventus and Monaco, endured a difficult campaign last season, however, as OM managed only 10th place in Ligue 1.
Should Deschamps be appointed his first game in charge would be against South American champions Uruguay in Le Havre on August 15.
He could be without a number of his star names before then, however, as the FFF continues to sift through the fall-out of a Euro 2012 campaign that was undermined by off-field problems.
Last week the governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against four members of the squad - Samir Nasri, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jeremy Menez and Yann M'Vila, who are set to be called in front of a disciplinary committee.
Manchester City midfielder Nasri fell foul of the FFF following his heated argument with a journalist in the wake of Les Bleus' quarter-final loss to Spain, while Newcastle forward Ben Arfa was allegedly embroiled in a dressing-room altercation following the 2-0 defeat by Sweden in France's final Group D outing.
Paris St Germain midfielder Menez is to be investigated after allegedly gesturing at goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, while Rennes midfielder M'Vila upset the FFF when he ignored Blanc following his substitution against Spain.
The unsavoury claims have brought back memories of France's disastrous 2010 World Cup, when Les Bleus crashed out at the group stage after the players refused to train following the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka.
On that occasion, Anelka, Patrice Evra, Franck Ribery and Jeremy Toulalan were hit with bans of varying lengths by the FFF.
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