France's lucky charm Didier Deschamps can cement his legacy

There is one thing in common between the three great victories in French football history -- the 1993 Champions League won by Marseille, the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship. One person was there each time, leading by example as captain, cultivating his winning mentality, bringing success and lifting the trophies. That man was Didier Deschamps.

In France, Deschamps is known as the lucky charm of French football --everything he touches turns into gold. People say that if he were to become president of the country one day (which he won't), he could even fix all of France's problems.

On Sunday, Deschamps could cement his legacy if France manage to beat Portugal to win their third Euros (after 1984 and 2000.) He could become the legend of all legends, not in terms of talent obviously, as Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini and Raymond Kopa will always be ahead of him, but in terms of trophies and victories Deschamps has won more than any other French player.

He is a winner who makes things happen. He has done it throughout his career as a player: a successful spell including two league titles and a Champions League at Marseille, another European trophy and three Serie A titles at Juventus, and even an FA Cup with Chelsea. And of course the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with his national team.

But Deschamps has done it as a manager as well.
Taking over as Monaco manager in 2001, he led the club to its first Champions League final inside three years. His one year as Juventus manager in 2006, dealing with the aftermath of the Calciopoli scandal, saw him manage to bring the club back from Serie B to the top flight. While his time as Marseille manager from 2009 saw him win the domestic double (league and league cup) in his first season at a club which hadn't won anything in 17 years and he would add another four cup trophies to their cabinet before departing in 2012.

Even with France, he has shown his magic touch. Taking over as head coach after Euro 2012 when the players almost fought with each other and had plenty of arguments with the media, he took the team to a World Cup quarterfinal and now a European Championship final, hoping to finally get his hands on an international trophy.

Deschamps is often keen to point out that he has had "great players" to manage, and of course it helps if you have Gianluigi Buffon, Fernando Morientes or Antoine Griezmann in your teams, but he is being modest.

His success is down to his tactical awareness and incredible mental strength. He was not the most gifted footballer -- indeed, being dismissed by the great Eric Cantona once as a "water carrier" whose job was just to pass the ball to others -- but he was cleverer and more determined than anyone else.

Deschamps was always showing the way forward on the pitch, leading by example, always listened to and respected. As a manager, he is the same.

"He has transmitted to us his winning mentality, his desire of never giving up, of seizing opportunities to win all the time and at all cost," goalkeeper Hugo Lloris told reporters the other day.

Deschamps has been fortunate at Euro 2016. A couple of times, his tactical decisions were the wrong ones: against Albania in the group stages with a 4-2-3-1 formation than was the wrong call; against Ireland where he played the left-footed Blaise Matuidi on the right hand side of midfield which was a disaster. Each time, he changed everything at half-time and, fortunately for him, it was not too late to turn things around.

However, since half-time against Ireland, he has got everything spot on and now he is in the final.

Deschamps will not think about the finals he lost in the past: the 1997 and 1998 Champions League finals as a player with Juventus against Dortmund and Real Madrid; or 2004 as manager of Monaco against Jose Mourinho's Porto. All these disappointments made him stronger. Now, he is on the verge of more history.

If he does win the European Championship on Sunday night, 16 years after winning it as a player and a captain, France will build him a statue. Currently, Berti Vogts is the only manager to have won the trophy as both a player (in 1972) and manager (in 1996).

Deschamps can etch his name into history and, considering his desire to succeed, you would not bet against him doing so.