France World Cup Blog » Off the Field

Breaking News: Ribery and Benzema Indicted for “Soliciting Underage Prostitutes”

Sarah — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:07:28 +0000

Well, we discussed the possibility of this a few months ago. During the World Cup, the investigation was (at least publicly) put on pause. Now that its over and Ribery had a chance to go on a nice family holiday, the investigation resumed and culminated today in the indictment of Frank Ribery and Karim Benzema being indicted by a judge for soliciting an underage prostitute.

A longer post on this issue is coming tonight…

Yéle Haiti

Jean-François — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:30:11 +0000

Since France’s early exit from the World Cup, French Star and Chelsea Winger Florent Malouda has been doing something extraordinary. The day after France’s loss to South Africa, Florent flew to Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. He has joined up and become an ambassador of Wycelf Jean’s organization, Yéle Haiti, which is trying to help the French-Speaking People of the Island Nation recover from the horrendous earthquake that destroyed almost everything and killed thousands only months ago.

During his stay, he visited many children at the the Jean et Marie Orphanage with Claudinette. There he distributed food and small gifts for the children. More importantly, he brought smiles to the Haitian children.

Yéle Haiti is a foundation started by Grammy-Award winning musician, producer and social entrepreneur Wyclef Jean that is changing lives in this desperately poor but optimistic nation.

Through Yéle Haiti, Wyclef uses music, sports and the media to reinforce projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development. In practical terms this translates to over 3,000 new jobs, close to 7,000 children being put in school, more than 8,000 people a month receiving food and approximately 2,000 young people a month learning about HIV/AIDS prevention.

Here is a video about Malouda’s trip and the 2010 World Cup (French):
Florent Malouda directement après le fiasco du mondial

I thought I’d post this for many reasons. First of all, this seems like a really great organization, the conditions of Haiti are still awful. Many have forgotten about them since the Media has stopped covering it. I am hoping that writing this post could help Haiti get some attention. They are still very desperate for any help at all. Second, maybe this could help reinforce as to why we support our team and our players, it’s been a rough ride. Thanks for your contributions Florent, we can’t wait to see you play under Laurent Blanc.

Click here to donate to Yéle Haiti

Follow Florent Malouda and Yele Haiti on Twitter (Verified)

Also, on an unrelated note, you can follow me on twitter for small updates on the French team and the Football World.

Malouda avec les enfants au Delmas 31 Prolonger.

Les Bleus broke our hearts…and (as fans) we deserve better

Sarah — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:54:20 +0000

With the events over the past few days, its easy to feel like the Bleus have turned their back on the fans

*Post written to the tune of Everybody Hurts by REM…audio at bottom of post (below the jump)*

Please note: The timeline of events has been updated thanks to additions and clarifications made in the comments section of the post. Credit to Justin, Sandrahn and Jennifer!

I’ve been a fan of the Bleus since 1998, ever since the team’s glorious World Cup win in Paris – I became a passionate fan of the Bleus after their infamous first round exit in the 2002 World Cup. But, the feeling of losing so miserably after such joyous feelings and high expectations upset me, and formed my desire to follow the team until the day they would avenge the past and win the World Cup again. With each year I’ve become more enthralled with the Bleus- and though I joined the France-mania in 1998, I’m hardly a fair weather fan who jumped on the bandwagon. Since 2002,I can count the number of games I’ve missed on one hand. At times, it’s even mysterious to me how I have developed such a strong connection with Les Bleus. There have been a lot of times when I could have abandoned the team because the Bleus are not always an easy team to love. Growing up in Texas (the founder of freedom fries), it was hardly a passion that was encouraged and I’m pretty sure I was the only one on the France bandwagon. Even outside of those cultural issues, both the French Football Federation’s as well as the team’s performances and behavior the past decade have alienated even their most ardent supporters. In 2006, France fans were given a brief reprieve when they managed to string together 3 magnificent performances in a row (Spain, Brazil, Portugal) to make it to the finals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. For reasons we all know, we did not win that Cup. And it is clear that without a miracle, we will not win it this year either. And it breaks my heart. Really.

There are differences in fans’ dedication levels. Bandwagon or fair-weather fans will get excited and follow teams only when they’re playing well or during big competitions such as the World Cup. But hardcore fans get very connected emotionally and dedicate themselves to the team every year, despite its record. These people experience powerful emotions from watching the team and support them through the ecstasy of winning and the agony of defeat. These are the types of fans which seemingly live and die with their favorite teams and athletes. In any match, scenes of one fan throwing back their head in desperation are juxtaposed against the opposition’s supporters jumping up and down in jubilation. While the Mexican fans broke our their sombreros and tequila (before you accuse me of breaking out an ethnic stereotype, some of them actually did that), France fans experienced a barrage of emotions: sadness that their team was most likely going home in the first round, anger that the players didn’t seem to care, confusion over why a team of talented players could create neither a credible offense or defense and frustration that had the FFF made changes in 2008, this could have been avoided.

That bond is a two-edged sword. A win by your favorite team can pick you up, but a loss is demoralizing (to say the least). Beyond losses, fans can feel a personal connection to players, which is why when even “off the field” scandals like Frank Ribery’s occur, fans can feel betrayed. There’s a lot in my relationship with the Bleus that I’m not proud of. I’ve cancelled lunches and dates at the movies because a game was on. My temper has snapped like a twig more than a few times and I’ve yelled at everyone in the room when the pundit misrepresented or distorted game or a player, or when one of my friends had the audacity to chat during a game. Of course if we won, it’s shots for everybody…

As a France fan, I’ve experienced many great and unforgettable moments. But as Bleus supporters know too well, there have been too many moments when they find a way to break your heart. When I saw Fabio Cannavaro and the rest of the Italian team raise the Cup in 2006 and heard the celebration from the Spanish fans in 2008, it was gut-wrenching. But neither of those can compare to what I have felt since the game against Mexico on Friday.

Since then, the shit has really hit the fan and I have felt more like I was watching a soap opera unfold rather than a team of world-class professionals participate in one of the biggest events in their career. While it was clear going into this tournament that all was not well, I never would have imagined that things would spiral out of of control this quickly. We all knew Domenech was not the right man to lead the Bleus for this tournament – that was abundantly clear in 2008. But, for reasons they have yet to explain, the FFF declared he was the appropriate man for South Africa. Since then, the atmosphere surrounding a team has resembled a country about to break into civil war. The FFF were pitted against both the public and the their famous alumni who repeatedly (every chance they got) denounced the FFF and Domenech. For most of the two years, Domenech has taken a majority of the hits and criticism. And while he is certainly not blameless by any means, surely we can all agree that there is enough blame to go around. But the lack of transparency and the team’s insistence of shrouding everything in secrecy has made it difficult to determine how to assign the blame. Instead, we are left to put the pieces together by a dramatic press corps who seem more interested in selling papers than writing the truth, a team of players whose oversized egos result in them constantly deflecting and blaming everyone else, Domenech who is clearly clueless and has no clue what is going on and how to fix it as well as the Federation who appear willing to do almost anything to salvage their reputation. And yet none of these people appear willing to take any responsibility for the position we are in now. And what position is that, you ask? Let’s just summarize the events of the last few days…

Friday, June 11

France settle for a draw in their opening match against Uruguay, picking up several yellow cards in the process.
Gallas boycotts the media, reportedly because he disagrees with Domenech’s decision to make Patrice Evra the team’s captain instead of him.
Malouda is reportedly dropped from the starting line-up against Uruguay for his honesty in a press conference, signaling there there is unrest among the team.

Tuesday, June 15-Wednesday, June 16

The press report that there are factions among the players who are squabbling over power and tactics. Ribery, Gallas and Anelka are identified as the primary instigators of the problems in the team.
According to the press, Yoann Gourcuff has been alienated by his teammates. It is reported that he often eats alone and doesn’t speak to many people on the team. In a press conference, Captain Patrice Evra states (paraphrasing) that Yoann never speaks to him and that if he wants to talk to Gourcuff he has to go through Toulalan. Bleus alum, Bixente Lizarazu, implies that Yoann may not fit into the group because of his privileged background, which makes him “too nice and too polite” to fit in. The day before France’s 2nd game against Mexico, the division is reported to have grown so much that Anelka and Ribery refuse to pass the ball to him. It is said that they are pressuring Domenech to replace both Gouvou and Gourcuff in the starting 11 (the replacements reported include Henry, Valbuena or Malouda).
Eric Abidal in a press conference admits that his and Gallas’ central defense partnership needs to improve- though he primarily appears to be talking about their on-field communication, the press speculate there maybe off-field issues impeding their ability to work together.

Thursday, June 17

France loses 2-0 their game against Mexico and Jeremy Toulalan picks up a 2nd yellow, suspending him from the final group game against South Africa
Gourcuff is dropped from the starting XI vs Mexico- reportedly because his teammates won’t pass the ball to him. He is replaced by Malouda.
Immediately following the game, some French press speculate that Domenech asked Henry and Cisse to play the second half and they refused.

Saturday, June 19

On Saturday, France Football report that Anelka and Domenech get into an argument at the half time of the Mexico-France game in which Anelka tells Domenech to “Fuck off, you son of a dirty whore.” The press report that is why Anelka was immediately substituted by Domenech for Gignac.
The FFF announce that Nicholas Anelka has been dropped from the team after he refused to apologize for his statements. The FFF state that this decision was supported by Domenech as well as the team who voted to exclude him.
Nicholas Anelka releases a statement denying the quote attributed to him in France Football, but acknowledges that he and Domenech did have a heated discussion. He insists that the conversation should have been kept in confidence, states his love for the team and extends his support to ALL his Bleus teammates.
Evra appears in a press conference with a representative from the FFF. It is said that Domenech has refused to speak to the press. Evra does not condemn Anelka and appears to be more upset about the events being made public. He states that there is a “traitor” in the team’s midst- though he remains ambiguous, the fans and press speculate he could be referring to Domenech, Gourcuff or a member of their training staff.
The press report that Zidane is instigating problems by pushing for a particular line-up that doesn’t include Gourcuff and Gouvou through Ribery and Anelka. The papers report that initially Domenech seems open to the change until he hears the source of the idea is Zidane.

Sunday, June 20

The France team travels to the training grounds but refuses to train. The players arrive without shoes, indicating they had no intention of ever training. When Patrice Evra explains this to a member of the training staff, he and the staff member have to be pulled apart by Domenech as they get into a fight in front of the press.
The team signs autographs for fans but refuse to speak to the press.
Once they completed signing autographs, they board the bus and have conversation with Domenech with the curtains drawn. After 20 minutes, Domenech reemerges to read a statement from the players of the team which says that they are boycotting training in response to the FFF’s dismissal of Anelka. They state that Anelka was dismissed based on speculative press reports, that they made no effort to clarify the actual events that happened or to support the team and they did not consult the players over the decision. Importantly, the statement of the players indicates that all members of the squad agreed to boycott the training “without exception.”
Later that day, the trainer who was videotaped getting into a fight with Evra was interviewed on TF1 about the event. He denies the insinuation made in the press that Evra accussed him of being the “traitor” in the squad. He says the argument was over his frustration with the players decision to not train because he had just finished setting up the cones for the session and creating drills for the players to complete.
Frank Ribery and Domenech appear on TF1 where Ribery acknowledges the team’s failures and expresses his regret for not living up to the expectations of fans but continues to emphasize that the team believes there is a “traitor” who wants the team to fail. Ribery also denies getting into a fight with Gourcuff and Domenech seems to mock the idea that Gourcuff could get into a fight with anyone because of his serene personality. Sports Illustrated report that Ribery “burst onto the set” of Domenech’s interview. SI also report that Ribery knew of the team’s plans to boycott the next day’s training when the interview was pre-taped, calling into question the sincerity of his apology to the fans.
Team Director Jean-Louis Valentin resigns in the wake of the training boycott, stating his displeasure with the team’s decision.
Anelka’s club teammate John Terry defends Anelka, stating he is an honorable person and a great teammate.
Anelka’s other club teammate, Didier Drogba, remains ambiguous when asked about the situation. He admits exchanging texts with Florent Malouda but says that the French squad do not typically discuss intra-squad issues with people outside the squad.
Bleus Alums – Zidane, Makelele, Aime Jacquet, Lizarazu - condemn the team’s decision not to train. They complain that the players should show more “respect for the shirt.”
Gourcuff’s former teammate Marouane Chamakh defends Gourcuff on French television, describing him as both a good teammate on and off the field.
French President Sarkozy also condemns the team’s decision not to train.
The FFF issue a statement stating there will be an investigation into the matter.

Monday, June 21

The Bleus resume training, though their training gear does not contain any of the names of the sponsors who are reportedly considering withdrawing their sponsorship.
In an interview, Blanc admits being offered the Inter-Milan job but states he turned it down because he thought he could help Les Bleus improve whereas the Inter team was already a success
Domenech calls players’ strike “an aberration, an imbecility, a stupidity without name”
Henri Monteil, General Secretary of the FFF, reports that the younger generation of players are reported to have apologized to Domenech and asked for forgiveness for their behavior.
RMC reports that Planus is one of the ringleaders behind the training boycott, alongside Ribery, Evra, Gallas and Abidal.
Blanc is alleged to have asked the FFF to put a clause in place that allows him to leave his post at his discretion.
Gallas, Evra, Henry and Abidal are rumored to be out of the team’s starting XI for the last group match. It is unclear if this was a decision made by the FFF or Domenech alone- though it is rumored to be a result of their role in the events leading up to the final group game against South Africa. Toulalan is also unavailable due to picking up two yellow cards in the previous matches.
Zidane denies trying to influence the formation of the team, emphasizing that even when he was a player he did not dictate the team makeup.

Tuesday, June 22

Le Parisien reports that a douzen players on the team did not support the boycott which the paper suggests that Abidal, Gallas and Malouda spearheaded. Though the paper indicates a dozen players were not comfortable with the idea, they only list Gourcuff, Lloris, Mandanda and Valbuena as opposing the idea. L’Equipe suggests the players against the strike included Lloris, Govou, Mandanda, Clichy, Squillaci, Sagna, Diarra, Gourcuff, Malouda, Valbuena and Toulalan.
Papers reports that Alou Diarra, who will be replacing the suspended Toulalan, is the most likely candidate to wear the armband in France’s final group match. Diarra is the current captain for Bordeaux in Ligue 1.
FFF confirm that if eliminated in the first round, the French team will not receive any bonuses for participating in the World Cup.

Did I miss anything? Because over the past few days, its become increasingly hard to keep up with the conflicting accounts and turns of events. Even if we had months to prepare, I’m not sure that would be enough time to mend the damage that has been done in the past few days. To have come this far to do THIS, it is heartbreaking. And while I’m not naive enough to think that the team can possibly overcome this and band together against the FFF and the press- I am hopeful that some good can come out of this debacle- including a full house cleaning starting with the FFF at the top. Because things have to change and it can’t just be Blanc. If anything, it has become clear over the past few days that Domenech is not our only problem. And I for one am ready for a larger, structural change- because as Les Bleus fans, we deserve it!

2010 World Cup Friendly: Tunisia vs. France Preview

Sarah — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:13:10 +0000

REMINDER: Liveblog begins 10 min before match is due to start!

Today the Bleus take on Tunisia in their second friendly before the World Cup. Their first game against Costa Rica was largely a success last week, and the team will be hoping to establish a positive streak of games going into the tournament this summer. If you missed the Costa Rica game, check out Jean-Francois’ post-game review and player ratings and (as Jeff mentioned in the comments section) you can watch the replay on ESPN360. The more entertaining, offensive style displayed at times by France against Costa Rica was a breath of fresh air- I will admit, I’m anxious to see if the team can now play this well consistently, instead of just flashes of greatness.

And while games against former French colonies tend to breed enormous tension and can (at times) become hostile environments for the team- this one is expected to go peacefully. In fact, given the reception they received when they arrived in Tunisia, the France players can expect to receive a rather warm welcome from the home crowd (see picture below the jump).

______________________________________________

MATCH BACKGROUND

RAYMOND DOMENECH MAKES HISTORY

Some of you may know, if you read my post on the front page yesterday on Domenech’s legacy, that tomorrow’s match marks Raymond Domenech’s 75th match in charge of Les Bleus since he was hired by the FFF in 2004, equalling the record set by the much revered Michel Hildalgo. Meaning, that post-Sunday, when Domenech surpasses the record, he will have secured a place in France’s footballing history- though, how we reflect on his reign is still a question mark. For more on this debate, I suggest checking out my original post…

THE CAPTAIN ISSUE

Well, remember a while ago when I proposed a debate over the French captaincy should Henry not be available to serve as captain during the World Cup this summer? Well, that’s not exactly the situation we are in- Henry is technically “available” though for obvious reason, he isn’t the most preferred option for France’s starting XI. Well, according to the Daily Mail (I know, the source makes these allegations automatically questionable), Domenech’s choice over who will wear the armband during Henry’s absence has caused a bit of a storm in the France camp….

In the game versus Costa Rica, when Henry was replaced by Sydney Govou in the starting XI, Manchester United’s Patrice Evra wore the France armband. Allegedly (and again, consider the source), William Gallas took exception to this decision. Now, don’t get me wrong- I admire a lot of things about Gallas. The guy has so much fire and passion. Unfortunately, even at his old age, he hasn’t figured out how to channel and/or communicate this passion to his teammates in a way that motivates them. I think it should be obvious why Domenech didn’t choose Gallas for captain. For starters, the guy has been a question mark and we didn’t even know if he was healthy enough to be included in the team until a few days ago. Second, I think the Arsenal experiment proves that he is better as an informal leader- there clearly needs to be someone on the team to reign in Gallas when he inevitably crosses the line. I think the reports over Gallas’ relationship with several of his Arsenal teammates prove that he hasn’t completely learned his lesson after he had his armband taken away by Wenger. So, given these obvious reasons why Gallas shouldn’t be captain- I’m shocked over his sense of entitlement to the title. For me, this is basically another reason why he wouldn’t be the best choice for the role. Leaders need to have confidence and a winning mentality- but they also need some humility. So, while I’m glad to have Gallas’ experience, fire and passion leading our backline this summer- I fully support Domenech’s decision to maintain his leadership role as an informal one and I actually doubt the validity of the story. When stories about the French team start in the English press- without any mention in the French press- it automatically raises a red flag.

Given the other players on the team, I think Patrice Evra was the natural choice. I adore Jeremy Toulalan when playing for France- but even he has admitted that he isn’t vocal enough to command the respect needed to boss around the huge personalities on the team. Ribery has been passed around in the press as a possible replacement to Henry. I can’t think of a worse idea. The guy is talented and despite my personal dislike of him, I’m glad he’s on the team. That said, I don’t think there is a bone in his body that screams leadership potential. Anelka is another example of this same conundrum- talented, skilled player who just isn’t a natural emotional leader. Ribery and Anelka lead the team’s tactics and offensive strategy- but I question if they have what it takes to emotionally pick the team up and carry them on their backs.

PLAYERS TO DOMENECH: DON’T MAKE US A SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM

As I mentioned before, there was a remarkable difference in the way France played against Costa Rica as compared to their outings in the World Cup qualification campaign and recent friendly against Spain. In the recent player interviews, several of the players were outspoken on their preference for the 4-3-3 formation Domenech deployed against Costa Rica.

“There was an improvement in the way we played. There was a lot more movement around the ball carrier, which wasn’t the case in the last few games, and we were able to find a lot of space,” France midfielder Yoann Gourcuff said. “We spoke to each other a lot, you have to keep talking when you only have three in midfield.”

“We felt free, we didn’t feel like we were prisoners to a system,” Malouda said after the Costa Rica game.

So even though I’m sad to see Lass leave in the manner that he did- with (reportedly) a rare genetic blood disease- I think there is a silver lining, at least for the team, since it has forced Domenech to give up on his preference for two holding midfielders.

_______________________________________________

THE OPPOSITION: TUNISIA

Tunisia come into this match after a a year of disappointments. Tunisia are, undoubtedly, a team of talented individuals. But, they have struggled to accurately display that talent as they crashed out of World Cup qualification as well as the African Cup of Nations in January. The Tunisian Federation has been in a bit of a tailspin the last few months and are currently searching for coach- further proof of the complete disarray of the team is the fact that Domenech was being touted (by credible sources) as the next Tunisian coach. Tunisia is probably the team I support the most behind France and the US – so you can imagine my joy at the idea of having to deal with Rayray for a another few years. Until recently, when this story started to look less likely, I was convinced I was cursed.

But despite the chaos, Tunisia will definitely show up with extra motivation to win this match, even referring to this game as “their World Cup.” Interestingly Ligue 1 Talk is reporting that the Tunisian players have announced that there won’t be any unnecessarily rough tackles in the game today, recognizing what is at stake for the French players. There is no doubt that they have the players to win this gam; remember, they started the goal scoring first the last time we played. Yassine Chikhaoui will make his return to the squad after struggling for almost two years with a knee injury. While he probably won’t start, it seems like he is likely to make it on to the field at some point during the game.

For more details on the Tunisian team and a video of the last time France and Tunisia met in Paris check out the Tunisian World Cup Blog (highly recommended).

_______________________________________________

TEAM UPDATES: FRANCE

Luckily, France didn’t sustain any injuries in their Costa Rica match and although there was a scare with a Gallas/Cisse tackle earlier in the preparation, everyone seems to have been careful since then. While the team hasn’t sustained any new injuries, the number of baby bleus is multiplying quickly. A week ago, Florent Malouda left the team’s camp to be by his wife during labor for baby #4. A few days ago, Alou Diarra’s wife also went into labor and I’m unsure if he has returned back to the squad in time to be present in today’s match. Congrats to both families!

Regarding today’s lineup, it has been suggested that Domenech will stick with some of his changes that worked in the last game against Costa Rica. Those changes include leaving Henry on the bench (initially), giving Ribery the role he wants on the left and letting Anelka lead the attacking line-up as the center forward. Is it just me or has Domenech been making some great, rational coaching decision lately? Keep it up Rayray (just not in the future with France, the US or Tunisia)! Some of the changes that didn’t work are also likely to be remedied, including replacing Mandanda with Lloris in the goal. As you all know, I love Steve and have tremendous respect for his ability and talent. But, he did not display what he is capable of during the Costa Rica game and (in my opinion) wasted a chance to give Lloris some serious competition. The good thing is that France is very fortunate to be deep in the goalkeeper position. I expect Lloris to start today.

Expected Starting XI (4-3-3): Lloris; Sagna, Abidal, Gallas, Evra; Toulalan, Malouda, Gourcuff; Govou, Anelka, Ribery

Valbuena played well against Costa Rica, but one performance does not make a starter. Part of what makes him an incredible asset for France is his amazing speed- which is a deadly weapon to throw on the field once the other team has begun to tire. I expect him and Diaby to make an appearance in the second half and will be looking forward to them showing everyone their performances against Costa Rica weren’t just beginner’s luck. I really loved the pictures that came out with the team hugging the leprechaun after his goal (below). I felt like the players were not just happy to have scored a winning goal, but they were happy FOR Valbuena to have scored the goal. After a few years of sulking and moodiness, its a nice change….Abidal recently commented that the team dynamic is much improved from 2008 because “no one is here to..kill the atmosphere” (Credit, again, to Ligue 1 Talk).

Gourcuff Fanboy Video

jeff — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:26:08 +0000

Les Bleus News Roundup

Sarah — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:46:27 +0000

Rayray – I knew you were into astrology, but who know you could channel spirits as well?

You’ve probably heard that France’s head coach, Raymond Domenech, released his preliminary list of players today for the World Cup- to see that list, see my previous post. However, since he announced the group of players live on French TV, there has been an barrage of responses, criticism and probably a few death threats…

Zahia D (allegedly of Ribery, Gouvou and Benzema fame) wrote a letter to Domenech….seriously.

Looking to stalk Les Bleus while they prepare for South Africa? Here’s there detailed schedule….

Interview with Domenech on the squad, omissions and World Cup Preparation

Now watch him justify himself in the press conference

The France 98 opinion: Petite, Lizarazu, Vieira

Don’t know a thing about Yann M’Vila? France Football gives us a bit of an intro…

See Domenech getting dolled up to read the list live on TV

Lloris is ready to write history

Les Bleus in Sex Scandal…Just what we need!

Sarah — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:25:04 +0000

Proving that when it rains, it pours…making it hard to make our re-return!

Just what we need – another scandal. We already fighting against stupidity, apathy and most of the world’s media – why not just add a sex scandal on top for good measure. And not just a legal John Terry-esque sexual liason, funny sex tape or mortifying fetish. This could really affect the team if legal measures are taken against the players in question.

French publication RMC has published a story indicating that four members of the national team of France are being investigated for allegedly facilitating, partaking and paying to have sex with a minor (human trafficking). Names have not been released but the story suggests that one “is a major player in a big foreign club” and a second player “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1.”

I hope this story is wrong – and so far there is very little media attention on this story at all so it hasn’t blown up yet.

Les Bleus News Roundup

Sarah — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:50:47 +0000

Just a few months ago, the idea of Domenech calling-up Cisse was a joke? Will France’s striker crisis mean Domenech will actually call-up Cisse for the France World Cup team?

I’ve been fretting about this since the start of 2010 – but James Horncastle has produced a much more thorough analysis of how dire France’s striker situation has become as we head into the World Cup. [Credit: Four Four Two].

Though Les Bleus appear to be struggling at the front and the back, Hugo Lloris’s performance this season should give any France fan a bit of hope to hold on to. Keep in mind this is coming from a HUGE Marseille and Mandanda fan – but Hugo is the man, the boss and the key to our World Cup success. Check out how he measures up against France’s former goalkeeping savior….[Credit: L'Equipe, Unprofessional Foul]

We know that we will be Domenech-free post World Cup 2010, but it looks like we are stuck with FFF President Escalettes for a while. How can a politician who is “synonymous with defeat” keep his job? Here’s how…[Credit: Bertrand de Volontat]

Deschamps has not been contacted by the FFF regarding coaching Les Bleus. Deschamps was brought in to coach Marseille this year – and despite a rough start, he has led the team to their first trophy in 17 years with the Coupe de la Ligue and looks to leading Marseille to the Ligue 1 title as well. Marseille had indicated that they would be willing to allow Deschamps out of his contract to coach Les Bleus but has since confirmed that Deschamps will be coaching OM next season…[Credit: France Football]

Domenech responds to Anelka’s criticism of Les Bleus performance against Spain, no assurances for Henry if he doesn’t get any playing time and Ciani’s rather unimpressive performance lately…same basic article in English. [Credit: France Footballl, ESPN]

Cisse thinks he has done enough to warrant going to the World Cup with France this summer – he is the current top scorer in the Greek league in addition to scoring 5 goals in Europe. What do you think? Take strikers in better leagues who can’t seem to score to save their life and seem to lack confidence or take a striker in a less competitive league that scores frequently and is brimming with confidence? [Credit: L'Equipe]

Well, Domenech hasn’t indicated his position on Cisse, but one thing he has made clear is that if he had to choose a team today it would include Patrick Vieira and Malouda. You can’t argue with the latter- but Vieira has struggled not just with his form since his transfer to the EPL but also with his health. He was suppose to start in Manchester City’s game last weekend, but was replaced at the last moment due to an injury he picked up in the warmup. This just seems ridiculous to me- he says he wont take players that aren’t healthy the day he has to make the list, but then says he will take a player who has chronic injury problems….

For daily updates on Les Bleus and French Football, follow me on twitter!

France News Roundup

Sarah — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:06:24 +0000

Best Of Equipe De France Football (Buts, legends…) 2/2
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What if John Terry had been a member of the French team instead of England- how different would things be? Wenger explains what Sepp Blatter attempted to say (and failed miserably).

Check out who France will be playing against when they meet Spain next week- Vincent Del Bosque’s team list is available here. Basically, we are playing a lot of Real Madrid and Barcelona with a bit of Liverpool and Arsenal thrown in. Can’t wait! To refresh your memory on our other World Cup qualification preparation matches, see Laurie’s post here. [Credit: FFF]

We don’t know who will be coaching Les Bleus yet in the post South Africa France Team, but the FFF have announced the first slate of games France will play after the World Cup this summer. France is scheduled to play against Norway (August 11, 2010 @Norway), England (November 17, 2010 @Wembley) and Brazil (February 9, 2011 @Stade de France). The FFF have not announced the date for the March international break (March 29)- but this competition looks promising! I can’t wait to dispel the myth being propagated through the English media that England is God’s gift to football by thoroughly crushing them at home. Ugh. [Credit: FFF]

As you know, injuries affecting many of France’s regular call-ups have given (read: forced) Domenech to make some new and interesting invitations to some new players as well as old favorites. One of those old favorites is Louis Saha who has been producing some great stuff at Everton. Upon hearing his recall, fans were excited but he remains nonchalant… [Credit: Goal.com]

Though Domenech gave several players opportunities to prove themselves against Spain…Djibril Cisse was not one of them. How did he react? By eliminating Roma in the Europa League- maybe now he has captured Raymond’s attention? I doubt it. Raymond is such a snob about the teams and leagues the French national team plays for. The man will hardly set foot in a Ligue 1 stadium- I can’t imagine him schlepping to Greece. [Credit: Goal.com]

Sport.co.uk takes a stab at the top 10 French starlets. I would hardly categorize Mamadou Sakho (PSG) as an “up and coming” French starlet– he is young but he has been playing in Ligue 1 for years and has even captained PSG!

Another reason why Ribery annoys me…he constantly name drops. Henry is desperate for his company at Barcelona. For more reasons why Frank is perhaps one of the most overrated players see this post from The Offside-Real Madrid and this post from Ligue 1 Talk/French Soccer. Before berating me, please understand that I am willing to concede that Ribery is a gifted individual player and dangerous weapon for any team– but he is still annoying. [Credit: Goal.com]

Earlier this week, I gave you my picks for players to watch as we approach the World Cup- now check out Martin’svery thorough analysis. [Credit: Ligue 1 Talk/French Soccer]

Titi finally has some good press. First, he inspires some humble and loving words from Jens Lehman. And ESPN has also given a shockingly fair and even account of Henry’s situation at Barcelona.

Journey to the 2010 World Cup: First Stop, Spain

Sarah — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:24:57 +0000

South Africa is now less than four months away (opening game is June 11th) and while most countries have arguably been preparing for this tournament for 4 years- Raymond Domenech has declared that his preparation will really start next Wednesday when France play Spain. Our approach to qualification makes so much more sense now…

But, sarcasm aside, I’m really excited about the kick-off of the international friendlies that France scheduled to prepare for this summer’s competition. Domenech will name his squad to face Spain tomorrow (Thursday, 2/25) and I’m anticipating (or maybe just hoping) there will be some surprises in his list.

The players we know will be absent are Gignac (hamstring), Abidal (hamstring), Gallas (calf), Squillaci (ankle), Alou Diarra (thigh) and Benzema (groin). The players who are still question marks are Ribery (left foot) and Diaby (knee)- they could be called up, but they are both still struggling to recover from prior injuries.

When asked about France’s injured players, Domenech replied that

“They have the right to be hurt, I’ve told them that! What matters is that they are all present for the World Cup.”

We have already discussed Patrick Viera returning to the squad- but some younger players have also demonstrated that they may have what it takes to replace veteran players on the team. On top of that, several players are struggling with injuries and poor form- so Domenech has the perfect opportunity to see how some new players could enhance the team…

Sarah’s Player’s to Watch

Patrick Vieira: Domenech has already announced that if Patrick goes, he will be the captain of France. It seems a little strange to me that the possible team captain is doubtful- shouldn’t they be one of the most consistent players on the field? Henry has supported Patrick inclusion since he returned from injury, but he has only played a handful of matches for Manchester City. And, he has already been banned for three games for kicking out at a Stoke City Player. With two Diarra’s (Alou and Lass) as well as Toulalan all fighting for this position- I doubt Patrick will be called up for this game…we are only allowed 11 players on the field- do we really want two of them to be old, out of shape and not consistently playing good football?

Louis Saha: Louis has managed to bounce back from years of chronic injuries to being the 5th most prolific scorer in the EPL. He has scored 15 goals in 30 games this season. He hasn’t been called up since November 2006 and he might be considered too unreliable, old and injury prone to be considered a serious contender (for South Africa) when France already have Benzema, Henry, Gignac and Anelka on the roster…

Djibril Cisse: Djibril’s situation is similar to Saha’s– but he plays in a much less competitive league (Greece). Though he has been playing well…he has a fiery personality, which is the last thing France needs at this point.

Hatem Ben Arfa: France’s midfield is extremely competitive with Gourcuff, Malouda, Diarra (Alou), Diarra (Lass), Gouvou, Nasri, Sissoko (Moussa), Toulalan, Ribery etc…is there room for him? Maybe..maybe not, but he’s definitely putting his best foot forward in an attempt to make Domenech’s choice more difficult. He had a horrible start to the season- barely getting any minutes. Since 2010, he has really demonstrated that he is capable of being the player that everyone thought he could be. Domenech has noticed his recent improvement, and remarked that, “He is someone who is a genius. The day he starts to stabilize and consistently repeat his performance, [his talent] will be indisputable in any team in the world, since he is no less talented than Cristiano Ronaldo. ”

Historically France and Spain are evenly matched sides, with France winning 11 and drawing 6 of the 29 matches between the two countries. matches from the 29 meetings between the sides. France won the last encounter in Paris prior to the 1998 World Cup- which France later won.