France is calm before the quarterfinals

Two days before their quarterfinal match against the Italian squad in SAINT-DENIS on Friday, 3 July at 16h30, the players from FRANCE were calm and collected during their meeting with the press in Clairefontaine on Wednesday 1 July. The French know the Italians well, for their team has 7 players who play in the Italian league (ZIDANE (10), DESCHAMPS (7), DESAILLY (8), DJORKAEFF (6), THURAM (15), BOGHOSSIAN (14), and CANDELA (2)). Over the past four years, Aimé JACQUET, national team coach for FRANCE, has also spent much time on the other side of the Alps in order to observe his exiled players’ performances. Not only do the French know the Italian game and players well, but they have also developed their own playing style: “We went to ITALY to learn and to gain that extra something that has always set the Italians apart,” says Youri DJORKAEFF. “These experiences abroad have given the French team a sense of reality.” Zinédine ZIDANE also attributes his winning ways to his experience in ITALY: “Ever since I’ve tasted victory in the Italian league with Juventus, I have but one desire: to win with FRANCE, and I think that all of the French players feel the same way.”

Aimé JACQUET agrees with his players: “I’m rather happy to play ITALY. They’re a team that has a lot of experience in major international competitions. That should enable FRANCE to show what they’re capable of. As far as our previous matches against the Italians go: I never hark on the past. It’s always better to look toward the future and I have confidence in the FRANCE team’s chances.” Still, DJORKAEFF realises the difficulty of what’s in store: “The Italians are always very strong in major matches. FRANCE will have to play great to beat them. Home field advantage and the like won’t discourage them.”

Against PARAGUAY in the round of sixteen on 28 June in LENS, the French were up against a solid defence. Against ITALY, they will also have to face a fierce attack. Nevertheless, French goalie Fabien BARTHEZ (16) is not worried: “I’m not particularly intimidated by the Italians. I know DEL PIERO (10) well because I played against him in Monaco where he scored three goals in two matches on me. But with FRANCE I have a much more experienced defence to back me up. I trust my defenders, and they know what they have to do down this home stretch. We’ve only conceded one goal in 4 matches…and it was a penalty.”