France coach Didier Deschamps has stunned everyone by saying that he feels that France are no longer considered as one of the elite teams in Europe. Hence, he thinks that the nation will not be able to win the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. After the disappointments of the last few major tournaments, France will be going into World Cup 2014 with a lot of expectations. However, the Marseille manager has tried to lower those expectations by saying that even a place in the quarter-finals would be a good tournament.

France lost won a trophy back in 1998, but they came close to lifting the title in 2006. They lost to Italy in the final of the tournament. However, since then, the national team has been on a decline. Despite having talented players like Samir Nasri, they have been unable to get the best out of results. The last two tournaments especially have been very poor form the image of France, as there have been a lot of infighting within the team. This has led to several players like Patrice Evra and Nicolas Anelka being disciplined by the French Football Association.

Ahead of the tournament start on June 12, Deschamps says that there are six or seven teams capable of winning the title this time around, but France are not one of them.

“There are six or seven teams out there that head into the competition to win it, but France are not among those teams. Our first objective is to win our opening game against Honduras on June 15. The last time France won a World Cup group-stage match was against Togo in 2006. We are no longer among the elite teams in Europe or worldwide. I am a realist and keeping my feet on the ground,” said Deschamps.