ACTUALITE |
01.12.2001
Seasoned World Cup team will take field for France
PARIS
A few receding hairlines and a few new faces could be all that distinguishes France`s 2002 World Cup team from its 1998 championship squad.
And, if coach Roger Lemerre sticks to his plans, the resemblance to last year`s European Championship lineup will be even greater.
France`s Marcel DeSailly (R) kisses the World Cup trophy and celebrates with teammates Zinedine Zidane and Bixente Lizarazu (L) after the team won the 1998 World Cup.
AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle
"The jewel, the reference, is 1998 and 2000," Lemerre said. "The group will be the same in South Korea and Japan, more or less."
Among the 18 regulars who probably will go to next year`s World Cup, 15 were members of the 1998 World Cup team and 17 were on last year`s European champion.
"We`ve got a fantastic core for the next World Cup," said Zinedine Zidane, France`s star midfielder. "The only thing that will break that up is the age of some of the players."
He will turn 30 during the World Cup, to be played in Japan and South Korea from May 31 to June 30. Nine players will be 30 to 34, with defender Frank Leboeuf and forward Youri Djorkaeff the oldest.
Heading into Saturday`s World Cup draw in Busan, South Korea, none of Lemerre`s top players has said they plan to retire before the tournament, and so far only Leboeuf has said he will quit international soccer after the World Cup.
Among the 18-man core, defender Mikael Silvestre is the only player to have made his debut for France since the European Championship. Backup goalkeeper Ulrich Rame and forward Sylvain Wiltord were part of the European champions but missed the last World Cup.
Since 1998, the biggest changes to the national team have been the retirements of Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps, and the increased role of midfielder Robert Pires.
"In the squad, for a long time I had difficulty establishing myself," Pires said. "Now I don`t apply any pressure. I join the squad and I play where I`m told to play. In the middle, left, right or on the bench."
Pires was primarily a backup before he fed David Trezeguet for the overtime goal that won the European title against Italy.
"That`s where I saw I had to take risks," Pires said. "What happened next was more beautiful than a dream."
He`s scored five goals in 14 games since then, making nine starts. He was voted MVP of last summer`s FIFA Confederations Cup.
Eric Carriere, voted last season`s best player of the French first division soccer league, was the main newcomer to the French midfield this year.
On defense, 24-year-old Willy Sagnol has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Les Bleus. He and Silvestre, also 24, lead the new guard on France`s backline, which includes 23-year-old Philippe Christanval.
Thierry Henry, Wiltord and Trezeguet make up the heart of the French front line, which also includes Djorkaeff, who has had injury problems.
France, the last defending champion to receive an automatic World Cup berth, has lost to Spain, Chile and Australia in 2001 - as many defeats as it had in the three previous years combined.
"If we lost every match before the World Cup but were good during," Leboeuf said, "it wouldn`t be a problem."
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