World Cup 2018: Didier Deschamps urges France to ignore 1998 and ‘write a new page in history’

Samuel Umtiti’s second-half header put France into their third World Cup final out of six, and their second straight tournament final after their defeat to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016

Didier Deschamps said he hoped France’s progress to the World Cup final would finally help to put talk of their 1998 triumph to bed. France’s 1-0 over Belgium leaves them 90 minutes away from their second World Cup triumph, and Deschamps – the captain of that winning side two decades ago – urged France to “write a new page in history”, rather than comparing this side to those of the past.

“You have to live in your times,” Deschamps said. “I never, never, never mention my own history. The players know it. Some of them were not even born, but only saw pictures. It [the 1998 win] belongs to a lot of French people who lived through it, but not the young generation.

“The story is different now. You can’t make comparisons, you can’t talk about players from 20 years ago. I am here to write a new page in history, the most beautiful page. I’m not saying I’m not proud of what we did 20 years ago. Nobody will be able to erase it. But one must live in one’s times, and I’ll repeat it today and tomorrow: we can’t look back into the rear-view mirror. That’s not how you build for the the future.”

Samuel Umtiti’s second-half header put France into their third World Cup final out of six, and their second straight tournament final after their defeat to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016. And both Deschamps and Umtiti expressed their desire to bury the ghosts of that traumatic night in Paris, when Eder’s extra-time goal consigned France to defeat on home soil.

I’m not at all the good-luck charm. We didn’t wn the Euro final, so it’s close to my heart to reach this level in a WC. I hope it’s going to be different this time. I hope we’re going to be able to bring the WC back to France.

Samuel Umtiti celebrates with teammates after scoring (Getty Images)

“I was there two years ago with my staff; it was so painful that we really wanted to taste victory tonight,” Deschamps said. “It’s close to my heart,” added Umtiti, who played in that game. “I hope it’s going to be different this time. I hope we’re going to be able to bring the World Cup back to France.”

Meanwhile, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez expressed his desire to carry on in his post after the tournament. “We’ll need to regroup, look at the younger generations, and try to become stronger,” he said. “Belgian football has got a wealth of young talent coming through, and I’ve got my eye on the Euros in 2020.