France – A. Jacquet: “We are all honoured by the fervour that is surrounding us”

Aimé JACQUET (Coach of the FRANCE team)

Statements collected from Clairefontaine (South-west of PARIS):

“We are getting ready for a very intense game. We also realise that a World Cup semi-final is not an everyday occurrence. Tomorrow evening is to be a magnificent celebration of the game of football.

“Yesterday evening I got everybody to rally round and we worked on teamwork. This morning we took a long hard look at the Croatian game. Since EURO 96 they’ve really come a long way. They’re a better balanced side today having introduced some new players who are better focused.

The main problem with the FRANCE team is with the finishing. It is up to the other players to create better openings for the attackers, if they are to find the daring and coolness they need to succeed.

I already met Miroslav BLAZEVIC as an opponent when I was coaching the BORDEAUX Girondins, but his time in France was too brief for me to really get to know his strategy. (The Croat coach used to train F.C NANTES)

The public was totally deceived by the press. From what they said, one would think that the French didn’t have a team or a coach. We are all honoured by the fervour that is surrounding us. We are all very proud to have got the to the Semi-finals. I hope that tomorrow night the last two years of careful preparations will pay their dividends.

The three biggest threats awaiting the FRANCE team tomorrow night are: a lack of concentration, not succeeding in playing our own game, and losing our lucidity and confidence in our abilities”.