2010 World Cup: France requires a miracle with team spirit down
It is when players of other teams start making comments on a team that was once a footballing power before, that you come to know that the respect for the team is on a steep road slanting downwards.
It was just the French media, their future coach, the board and their fans that lambasted the present team and coach with comments like ‘Raymond Domenech must be a genius to make such a skilful squad play so ineffectually’ or ‘when will the French players realize that there is more to football then having your foot with the ball’.
The Jonathan Zebina, Juventus has criticized the Les Bleus coach Domenech of poor commitment and planning in the World Cup. After their 2-0 humiliation against Mexico, the players were left dumbstruck on the field in the tournament, with only a miracle having the power to save them.
While talking to the media Zebina disparaged, “Domenech? He is one of the few coaches in the world who hasn't even won anything at youth level. I don't want to be bad, but with the players France have they cannot play like this. Years of hard work thrown in the bin. If he had won something he would have been the Jose Mourinho of the national side”.
The player blamed that the major fault of the French losses were of the coach and expressed that the future option will make much more sense than the present, “Well, at least with Laurent Blanc there will be some logic”.
Players of other teams are starting to take advantage of their situation and taunting the once great power. Jeremy Toulalan has claimed that France is on very thin ice at the moment with a very rare chance to enter into the 16 teams of the next round.
Their limping performance started with their draw against Uruguay, a match in which they lost crucial three points that would help them make their plays at the rest of the Group Stages. Next to that, they lost to Mexico this time not even availing the single point. Now the top two teams La Albiceleste and El Tri will have the final encounter that will not only decide the fate of France but Uruguay and Mexico too.
Experts agree though with Olympique Lyonnais midfielder, Toulalan that France has a very bleak chance of survival. The defender said, “It’s not over yet but it’ll take a miracle for us to get through. It’s a huge disappointment. We didn’t have many chances, but we gave it everything to win the match or at least not lose it, but Mexico deserved their victory. There’s nothing more to say really”.
With spirits of the team down like this, they must not even get their hopes up for their final match against South Africa this Tuesday. The French Winger Mathieu Valbuena also admitted that he was deeply disappointed and depressed after the current proceedings. He commented, “We put ourselves in a really complicated situation and this loss really hurts us. The lads are all pretty low right now, you can see it in the locker room”.
On a more optimistic note, the player told that they needed to keep their heads held high and honour the French shirt. Even if they only have a chance in a hundred, they have to take it. Though it will be really tough to get ourselves going again they must not give up.
The legend of time and part of the World Cup winning team Zinedine Zidane has also shared his voice of disappointment for France’s current dismissal performance. With their last defeat, they are now 3 points behind Uruguay and Mexico in Group A. The star midfielder told that he was extremely dejected and frustrated by the team’s current performance.
Zidane played a key role for the French in 1998, when they won the World cup in their country and the Euro Cup of 2000 which they also won. While talking to media he voiced, “I am sorry for France, because the team could not create a single chance on goal, and that is not enough for those who expect to make something important”.
Zidane who has slammed the Coach Domenech continuously in recent time told that his incompetence was apparent now, he stated, “France met a very good team, who made a great start. Mexico was superior to France, especially physically. (Last night) the better team won”.
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