The French football team represents the nation of France in international football competitions. The team is considered one of the top sides in international football, and has been especially successful over the past decade, winning the World Cup as the host nation in 1998, as well as placing second in the Germany 2006 tournament. Within that time frame, France also won Euro 2000. The team is fielded by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA.
Platini era
During the captaincy of Michel Platini France's World Cup performance markedly improved, finishing fourth in Spain '82, and third in Mexico '86. In both tournaments, they lost in the semi-finals to West Germany. The 1982 semi-final is infamously remembered by many for West German keeper Harald Schumacher's elbowing of France's Patrick Battiston in the face as the latter made a shot on goal. Despite severely injuring Battiston, Schumacher was not penalized. France were unfairly knocked out in 1986 and with Platini, now recognized as one of football's all time greats they could have won. It was a very good generation of French football players though and they won the Euro in 84 which was France's greatest achievement up to that point. With Platini as skipper, France, as host nation, won Euro '84, as well as capturing Olympic gold in Los Angeles the same year.
Zidane era
France's most successful years were the late 1990s, the generation of Zinédine Zidane and the emergence of Thierry Henry. This team started off well by reaching the semi-finals of Euro 96. After Euro 96, Jacquet adopted a very defensive strategy and made fans anxious because his team never seemed to develop a definitive offensive tactic. The press began to attack the team manager, calling his methods "Paleolithic" and claiming that the team had no hope for the upcoming World Cup which would be hosted in their home country. In June 1997 at the Tournament of France, cries of "Resign!" could be heard from the stadium as the French team came in under Brazil, England and Italy. The media's distrust of Jacquet reached fever pitch in May 1998 when, instead of a list of 22 players meant to play in the World Cup, Jacquet gave a list of 28 players, causing the sports daily L'Équipe to write an editoral arguing that Jacquet was not the right man to lead the French team to victory. However Jacquet was about to mastermind French football's greatest ever achievement.
[edit] 1998 World Cup
BARTHEZ
BLANC
DESAILLY
THURAM
LIZARAZU
DJORKAEFF
ZIDANE
DESCHAMPS
PETIT
GUIVARC'H
DUGARRY
France lineup during the 1998 World Cup
However, all that would change when the team began to play in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup. It was clear that though the team was far from being the most flamboyant in French history, it was a perfectly well-oiled machine that neither injury, nor expulsions, nor suspensions, managed to stop.
Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly were linchpins of the best defense in the tournament, conceding only 2 goals in seven matches. France swept their group, then defeated Paraguay 1-0 with a Golden Goal from Laurent Blanc. In the quarter-finals, they edged Italy in a penalty shootout after both teams were tied 0-0. Though they fell behind for the first time in the tournament to Croatia, Thuram scored two goals in France's comeback semi-final win. He laughs when recalling this match because these were the first two and may be the last two international goals the defender will ever score. The overall defence consisting of Thuram, Desailly, Blanc and Bixente Lizarazu was extremely strong and often impenetrable.
The crowning moment of their glory was when they soundly defeated the defending champions Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup Final. In the first half, taking advantage of poor Brazilian marking at defensive set pieces, Zinédine Zidane scored two headed goals from France's corner kicks[1]. Brazil was unable to find the net despite Desailly getting sent off and Emmanuel Petit added a third goal in the last minute of regular time to seal the victory for France. France's inaugural triumph also made them the first host in 20 years to win the World Cup. An estimated one million people took to the Paris streets to celebrate that night.
