Traumatic end of French renaissance

BERLIN, July 10: A golden era ended in traumatic fashion for France when the player who made them the ultimate winning machine, Zinedine Zidane, left the stage in tears after an ill-tempered World Cup final.

The ageing playmaker, featuring in the last match of his illustrious career, was sent off for head-butting Marco Materazzi in the chest in extra time during a rough showpiece encounter that Italy won on penalties.

By reaching the final, though, the 1998 champions had done enough to restore their pride after leaving the 2002 finals without a win or a goal from the group stage.

The French, relying heavily on a bunch of 30-somethings thought to be past their prime, staged a remarkable revival that only a somewhat cynical Italy side could stop.

Yesterday's defeat means the final eight years ago at the Stade de France, in which Zidane scored twice to help stun Brazil 3-0, remains the team's and their maestro's sweetest moment.

The gifted son of Algerian immigrants, who recaptured his brilliant best during these finals, bows out at the age of 34 and will be remembered as one of the game's all-time greats.

Lilian Thuram, who joined Zidane and Claude Makelele in coming out of international retirement last year to help the team book a trip to Germany, was reluctant to return to the national fold because he feared a repeat of the 2002 fiasco.

DISMAL DRAWS His anguish seemed justified when France started with dismal draws against Switzerland and South Korea, which left them needing a clear victory over Togo to reach the knockout stage.

Zidane was not there to help them after picking up a yellow card in each of France's two group outings and anxiously watched a game played on his 34th birthday from the dressing room.

France beat Togo 2-0, laying to rest the ghosts of their abysmal 2002 showing, and that was the turning point.

Before that game, the players and the coach held an emergency meeting and came up with a plan.

''The solution was that all the players had to give it their very best in the team's interest,'' said defender Willy Sagnol, aware that oversized egos had marred previous tournaments.

From then on, everything clicked, the team producing displays reminiscent of a previous vintage to knock out Spain, Brazil and Portugal and earn the right to challenge Italy.

The 1-0 win over champions Brazil in the quarter-finals in which Zidane was pure magic suggested France could go all the way.

FRENCH RENAISSANCE It was not to be but the French, who played the best football yesterday, still showed character and coach Raymond Domenech deserves much of the credit if only for having believed from the start that his team could reach the final.

''Somebody had to believe we could do it,'' said the 54-year-old.

''That's my job, that's what I'm paid for.'' The artist mainly responsible for painting the French renaissance was not Domenech but the man they call 'Zizou'.

Italy and his own nerves ruined yesterday's party and the final curtain has fallen not only on Zidane but on Thuram and Fabien Barthez, who are leaving a team they graced for over a decade.

A rebuilding process is needed but at least the finest generation to wear French colours tried to treat themselves to a suitable farewell, until the last act went awfully wrong.

REUTERS

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