Deschamps back at Chelsea

Monaco boss Didier Deschamps returns to his former club Chelsea on Wednesday with the plaudits of his fellow coaches ringing in his ears and lucrative job offers reportedly in his in-tray.

On Sunday Deschamps was voted France’s coach of the year by his peers and the diminutive former midfielder is still well in the hunt for the Champions League and the Ligue 1 title.

Second-placed Monaco are two points behind Lyon with four games remaining in France but in the Champions League only a remarkable turn around can prevent Monaco from qualifying for the final as they defend a 3-1 first-leg lead at Stamford Bridge.

Not everything in the garden is rosy for Monaco, however, and two of their regular first team players are doubtful for Wednesday’s match at Stamford Bridge where Deschamps spent a year as a player in the late 1990s.

French international midfielder Jerome Rothen and Croatian forward Dado Prso are both doubtful for the match in west London after picking up injuries during the 2-1 victory over Nice on Friday.

If Prso misses out, Deschamps will probably partner Fernando Morientes with Shabani Nonda.

Born in Burundi but a Democratic Republic of Congo international, Nonda was Ligue 1’s top scorer with 26 goals last season.

He was ruled out of most of this season after picking up a cruciate ligament injury in August but returned to the fray last month and scored Monaco’s third against Chelsea with his first touch after coming on as a substitute.

After several substitute appearances, Deschamps may be prepared to give Nonda a full 90 minutes.

Monte Carlo may be a millionaire’s playground but Deschamps has forged a team from cast-offs such as Real Madrid reject Morientes, promising youngsters and journeymen like 29-year-old Prso who has had a magnificent 18 months after a career previously spent in obscurity.

Monaco’s achievements were recognised at the player of the year awards with five players included in the all-star Ligue 1 team.

The quintet were defenders Patrice Evra and Sebastien Squillaci, midfielder Lucas Bernardi, striker Morientes and playmaker Ludovic Giuly, while Evra was also named young player of the year.

Deschamps won not only the coaching award but generous tributes from his peers.

None was more admiring than Auxerre boss Guy Roux, who is a living legend in France after 43 years in charge of the Burgundy club which he led from the local regional league (the equivalent of the sixth division) to the top flight.

“The award for Didier Deschamps is highly deserved,” Roux told L’Equipe. “I won’t tell you if I voted for him but he was certainly on my short list.

“A long time ago I detected in him qualities that will make him a good coach and he has not needed long to show them.”

Deschamps hails from Bayonne – a rugby-playing town in France’s Basque country - and his best friend in football is Marcel Desailly who will not play for Chelsea on Wednesday because of suspension.

Both men were colleagues in the Nantes youth academy before sharing great days with Marseille and the French team.

Last year Desailly surpassed Deschamps’ record tally of French caps.

Deschamps’ feats with Monaco have already attracted the attention of several top European clubs.

It has been reported in the Italian press he has received an overture from Juventus to replace Marcello Lippi who will quit in the summer.

Deschamps has reportedly refused the offer because he was not given the budget he wanted.

With possible coaching vacancies coming up at Real Madrid and Chelsea he may be biding his time although certainly his achievements with Monaco may persuade him to stay in the principality.

Another possibility could come with the French national team – current coach Jacques Santini has admitted he has had approaches from several European clubs and may depart after Euro 2004.

It is taken as read that at some stage of his career Deschamps will take the reins of Les Bleus where, even as a player, he reportedly wielded huge influence in the dressing room.

Under 1998 World Cup winning boss Aime Jacquet and his successor Roger Lemerre, Deschamps and Laurent Blanc were reportedly consulted on selection matters.