Curtain falling on France's class of 1998

PARIS, Apr 26 (Reuters) Zinedine Zidane's decision to retire after the World Cup confirms the curtain is falling on an exceptional generation of players who made France the ultimate winning machine.

Until Zidane and company burst on to the scene, France were a bunch of romantics famous for losing World Cup semi-finals to Germany, which the great side featuring Michel Platini did twice, in 1982 and 1986.

That all changed in 1998. Led by their classy playmaker, France, who had failed to qualify for the previous two World Cup finals, lifted the trophy on home soil.

Two years later, with Zidane again the inspiration, France won the European championship, proving the 1998 triumph had been no accident.

Things went horribly wrong two years later, though, with Les Bleus disappearing from the 2002 World Cup after the group stage without winning a match. The downfall continued at Euro 2004 with a quarter-final exit.

But at least memories of the glory days were still fresh then and many members of the team who achieved immortality by crushing Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 final were still on board.

It is all very different now.

Of France's 22-man squad from 1998, 10 players have already retired, among them captain Didier Deschamps, Laurent Blanc and Emmanuel Petit.

Three-times World Player of the Year Zidane, who will turn 34 during the World Cup, is about to join that club.

''We, those who are already retired, would like to welcome Zizou in life outside football,'' said former France and Real Madrid midfielder Christian Karembeu.

''We're losing an artist and a great talent, a man who has left his mark on world football. I think he is a symbol who has brought happiness and peace to people.'' ONLY SIX Five others, including Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly and Youri Djorkaeff, have quit international football, some still playing at club football and others, notably Desailly, virtually retired.

Not counting Zidane, only six 1998 veterans -- Fabien Barthez, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Robert Pires and Lilian Thuram -- are still available for selection.

Thuram and Claude Makelele, who followed Zidane by coming out of international retirement last year to help France qualify for the World Cup, are both also likely to quit after the June 9-July 9 finals in Germany.

France has been through a similar situation before, when Platini called it a day 20 years ago. They needed a decade to recover.

Finding a replacement for Zidane is no easy task. The only player who might reach that status one day is Olympique Marseille midfielder Franck Ribery, both a fighter and an artist and arguably the finest player in Ligue 1.

France coach Raymond Domenech has so far ignored the energetic 23-year-old him but might still include him in his squad for the finals to pave the way for the future.

Zidane, however, is still around for a few weeks with one final challenge awaiting him.

''I'm a bit sad but we were all prepared for this,'' said French Football Federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes.

''We knew he would probably leave after the World Cup. Now we hope he can have a great one and retire on a high note.'' REUTERS PM PM1457