And count me in as a Sagnol fan! The guy was just amazing at the wc. Absolutely critical to brining them to the final. Thing is, he plays in the Bundesliga, which gets so little coverage.

Brandon, I’m envious of all those who can read and understand French better than my appallingly rudimentary knowledge. I studied it in high school and taught English in Paris for a few months in 1996. While there I got a grasp of some casual conversation. And my fluency in Portuguese and Spanish helps in understanding French (Italian too). But I miss a whole lot. There’s an interview with Arsene Wenger over on youtube I just found and it’s all in French and I missed most of it. Very frustrating! (I adore the professor!)

Anyway, it’s great to discover fellow fans of French football — esp. Americans who are told routinely that they’re supposed to hate all things France.

And Laurie, as to the France-Brazil game…fortunately Fox Soccer Channel here in the US has a contract to air all Brazil friendlies and international competition matches. I get FSC on my Time Warner digital cable set up here in NYC. I will of course be taping the game. The best I can do for you is send you a copy – not as good as seeing the game live of course. FSC is available on DirecTV and some digital cable packages.

I would eat worms to be able to see this summer’s France-Brazil game again. I don’t suppose you know where I could find it?

It also doesn’t help that he’s in Germany and I don’t speak German.

But hey, in the future I’ll be on the lookout for Sagnol news just for you.

That being said – my two cents – I check this blog frequently hoping to see some articles about Willy Sagnol. I cant get enough of this guy, he’s amazing, definetely the immediate future of French defence along with Abidal. Im glad that youre starting to talk about how underrated he is Laurie, He’s my personal hero, and while I know he’s not the type to enjoy the spotlight, I would love for him to get more credit for his contributions.

Allez les Bleus, Vive Sagnol.

I followed the Spanish league a little and knew of the big name European clubs and players but they just were not part of my regular football universe. Most of my focus was entirely in South America.

Until, that is, the mid-90s when I discovered Les Bleus and learned how the French had worked hard since 1974 to develop their national squad. I was living in Italy and saw zizou play at Juve, then caught some games of the French national team. Then of course, there was the 98 wc where a French team won without even a proper striker, yet still playing attacking football.

They set up an amazing national academy at Clairefontaine and their approach was to meld the kind of open attacking football (with flair) that Brazilians love with the strong defensive tradition of Italy. Their pragmatism told them to learn from the Italians to be effective but their ultimate commitment was always to open, attacking, possession football first.

They didn’t and don’t always succeed in that commitment, good teams must be flexible, but the belief in that syle of football is always there. That’s why I supported France in the wc last summer — I had hoped Argentina would win but France were the only team left that represented the kind of football I am passionate about.

Also, no other team – club or national – in the sport has ever had to deal with the level of racist abuse that the French squad has had to over the years. That abuse has come from both within France and without. Throughout, the French squad has handled themselves with pride, grace, dignity and ntelligence.

I live for games like the recent friendly between Argentina and France. That’s football. Not those mindnumbingly boring 1-0 longball super-defensive affairs where players just come out to kick each other to death.

The 1986 wc Brazil-France match is considered the most entertaining in that tournament. You can get it on ebay – trust me, you’ll be glad to buy it, it’s fabulous. I’ve also seen (on videos and dvds) the wonderful French squad that won the ‘84 European championship. Brilliant stuff.

Brazil has not beaten France since 1958 – the closest we’ve ever come is a 0-0 draw in a 2004 friendly – the one where the French were wearing those strange, uncomfortable long white shorts and buttoned shirts (they had to change kits at halftime).

It was the French who invented the world cup and the European championship trophy. French football has always preferred the attacking flair of South America – after the 1930 wc, the French were very taken by the stylish winning Uruguayans, more so than by the victorious Italians of the next 2 world cups and it was that preference that has always dominated the French approach. Despite all the obvious reasons for the need for defensive football, the French maintain a belief in entertainment, style and flair as much as possible. Like Wenger at Arsenal, they know it isn’t always possible – but they don’t abandon it.

Oh and here’s a popular Brazilian joke about zidane: he was born in Brazil, got kidnapped by Algerian pirates and was taken to France.

By the way, Laurie, just as you feel motherly toward the French squad, I feel that way about the Brazilian squad.