FIFA World Cup 2010
France
 franceFrench Football Federation (Fédération Française de Football) Confederation: UEFA Head coach:Raymond Domenech Captain: Thierry Henry Top scorer: Thierry Henry FIFA ranking: 10 World Cup Appearances: 12 Team Colors: Best Results
World Cup Winner 1998 European Championship Winners 1984, 2000 Olympic medal record: Gold 1984 |
The French national team is one of but two teams in the world that has earned the most renowned and important titles in football: the World Cup, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the Euro Cup, and a gold medal in the Olympic Games.
2010 will bring Les Bleus to the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time; it would be an understatement to say that France is having a good time in football. Ranked as one of the most aggressive national teams, one that shows an incredible level of skill in the field, France is a strong squad for the South Africa games.
However, some of France’s greatest legends, who have in previous years led the squad with undeniable success, have withdrawn from the game; nevertheless, the team’s new young players have exhibited strong technique as well as a great offensive strategy to bring the team back among the favorites.
After a slump in 2002, when the team failed to move past the first stage, France came close to crowning itself in Germany in 2006. However, Italy’s great work in penalties took away that possibility.
Qualifying Stage
In the qualifying stage, France seems to have taken an attitude that the end justifies the means. The team failed to qualify to the UEFA group; however, circumstances pushed it into a playoff game against the Republic of Ireland. France won 1-0 in the away game and drew 1-1 at home after a controversial goal from Thierry Henry. Minutes before the final, the Frenchman, after a play in the Irish area, pushed the ball with his hand to score the goal that qualified the team for the South Africa World Cup.
Controversy soon followed. It seemed the whole stadium had seen the slap – with the exception of the referees. In the end, there was very little to be done. Ireland returned home disappointed. France, on the other hand, arrives at the World Cup after an unenviable play. But the team’s qualification is perhaps suitable for a game in which anything can happen.
Players
Although the French coach, Raymond Domenech, has no stars like Zinedine Zidane, Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele, he has shown that a well-balanced team can also achieve victories. In the list of those called for the friendly matches, the team will have some variation. Among the list of those called are well-known players in European football, such as Eric Abidal (Defender / Barcelona), Florent Malouda (Midfielder/ Chelsea), Yoann Gourcuff (Midfielder / Girondins de Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Midfielder/ Real Madrid) Nicolas Anelka (Forward/ Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Forward/ Real Madrid), and Thierry Henry (Forward/ Barcelona).
With these stars at his disposable, only the coach knows who of the 11 will step onto the South African field.
Head Coach
Raymond Domenech has been in charge of the national teams U-20 and U-21. He is one of the longest-staying coaches on the French sidelines. This former player reached league titles and played internationally as a defender.
Domenech’s true fame lies in his exceptional communication skills; he has, however, been strongly criticized by his fans for his mistakes in strategy.
With experience training in Mulhouse and Olympique, Domenech hopes that France becomes one of the favorites in the World Cup this year.