Team Roster for France-Greece, 11/15

November 9th, 2006 | by: Laurie |

So does anybody know the record for the maximum number of players pulled from one team? Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) has to be close with ten. I guess Domenech figures, why reinvent the wheel when Gérard Houillier & Co. have already done so much of his work for him. (Who can doubt that if Domenech could wave his wand and make Juninho and Fred magically French, he’d do it in a heartbeat.)

The two new players are both eighteen-year-old whiz kids and neither is a huge surprise: Gonzalo Higuain of River Plate (Argentina) and Karim Benzema of Olympique Lyonnais. The coach has apparently decided his offensive forces are getting a little long in the tooth and is starting to build for the future.

Team members for the Faroe Islands game who didn’t get called up this time around were: Jean-Alain Boumsong, Sebastian Frey, Sébastien Squillaci and (sniffle) David Trezeguet.

Making returns after absences of varying lengths are Grégory Coupet, Patrice Evra, Philippe Mexès, Sidney Govou, and Rio Antonio Mavuba.

And Faroe Island game newcomers François Clerc, Julien Escudé and Jérémy Toulalan all apparently earned a return ticket and will be coming back. (Now the big question is who will start — Makelele or Toulalan, who everybody has been calling “the new Makelele.”)

Here’s the complete roster:

Keepers:
23 Grégory COUPET, Olympique Lyonnais
1 Mickaël LANDREAU, Paris SG

Defenders:
3 Eric ABIDAL, Olympique Lyonnais
13 François CLERC, Olympique Lyonnais
17Julien ESCUDE, F.C. Seville
2 Patrice EVRA, Manchester United
5 William GALLAS, Arsenal F.C.
21Philippe MEXES, AS Roma
19 Willy SAGNOL, Bayern Münich
15 Lilian THURAM,FC Barcelona

Midfielders:
18 Alou DIARRA, Olympique Lyonnais
9 Sidney GOVOU, Olympique Lyonnais
20 Gonzalo HIGUAIN, River Plate (new)
6 Claude MAKELELE, Chelsea F. C.
7 Florent MALOUDA, Olympique Lyonnais
25 Rio Antonio MAVUBA, Girondins de Bordeaux
22Franck RIBERY, Olympique de Marseille
8 Jérémy TOULALAN, Olympique Lyonnais
4 Patrick VIEIRA, Inter Milan
11 Sylvain WILTORD, Olympique Lyonnais

Forwards:
39 Nicolas ANELKA, Bolton Wanderers
10 Karim BENZEMA, Olympique Lyonnais, (new)
12 Thierry HENRY, Arsenal F.C.
14 Louis SAHA, Manchester United

France World Cup Blog RSS Feed

http://france.theoffside.com Sam

watch out for those greeks though

i say stop calling clerc. he plays like the king of all douchebags.
Albo

Looking at the names of that roster, one can’t help but smile at the late effects of colonialism.
How many real french players does France have????
To Albo

How many real American basketball player does the USA team have? fool… Such comment coming from an american is hilarous… I mean aren t u guys supposed to be a melting pot nation…? Just like France and Great Britain…??
Philippe

Albo, you’re right, we have many players of African or Carribbean extraction. French society is now multi-cultural, which is not dissimilar to the US. Both our countries reap the benefits of such social diversity.

On a different note, Higuain seems to have refused his selection but nobody knows if he wants to play for Argentina or doesn’t feel ready yet to play an international game for France (especially a useless and ill-timed friendly in the cold of Europe’s autumn).
Albo

I’m writing from USA but I’m not an american.
And I stand by my words.
Again. How many french players does France really have?????
luca

Albo not only do you support the pathetic Argentine NT you are obviously a racist. The only thing I’m not sure of is which is worse cheering for argentina or racism?
Albo

Luca, I know you like to run your mouth against argentineans and I don’t play that game with you because I might be too old for that, but when you call me a racist, it starts to get a bit personal. Don’t go there, buddy.
I’m not a racist, on the contrary, I have good reasons to have said what I said and we haven’t discussed the topic enough for you to jump to conclusions of that kind.
So Luca, please be a gentleman and don’t assume things.
If you honor the words you print, be careful before insulting other people.
luca

Based on what you have written let me just say “And I stand by my words”

Allez
Albo

It’s really too bad Luca.
You’re making me leave this thread because you don’t know how to hold a conversation without insulting someone.
We could have talked and maybe even learned a bit from each other.
But your petulance and lack of class are too much for me.
Andá nomás
luca

It is obvious what you were referring to when you said “How many french players does France really have?????” Teasing one another about a countries NT is one thing but you hurdled over the line.

I would have thought prior to you leaving you would apologize for your hateful comment. I have no interest in discussing football or anything else with someone with your views.

Salut
karl

viva la france!!!
http://france.worldcupblog.org/ Laurie

Albo, interesting point. What makes a player “French”? I personally think that the black, blank, beur aspect of the team is one of its greatest strengths. This is something I’ll address a couple of posts to during the lull between Greece on Weds. and Argentina in Feb.
neil

You dont have to be white to be French… It’s not a requirement as far as I know.