[San Siro]

I have a question to EVERY FOOTBALL FAN of the world:

What should we, French fans and French team do in order to gain the due respect and due credits ?

If we lose in 2002, then everyone we'll be screaming and laughing at us with:"Losers!You lucky bastards, it's over now! or You could not convince the refs this time!"
And if we win again the World Cup in 2002, then people will hate us even more and will be going with the same old boring and pathetic chorus:"The refs helped you!You bought the game! or you were lucky!" Or any other kind of possible excuses (Just ask the Brasilian, Portuguese or Italian fans! )
Frankly, i'm asking all of you people no matter who you support as i'm really sick and tired of this negative attitude towards us French..

Your intelligent, civil and constructive replies are avidly sought...

Anyways, Allez Les Mecs! We can do it!

After the WC 98 and Euro 2000, BRING ON THE WORLD CUP 2002!

LA VICTOIRE EST EN NOUS...POUR TOUJOURS!
__________________
Cuore Rossonero Per Sempre!
http://www.redblacks.com
Merci les Bleus!After the WC 98, Euro 2000, now bring on WC 2002...
Hala Los Merengues!

 

[endranesta]

That's negative attitude (in your 'n other french team's lovers' opinion)would not appear if they were not supported by the true facts.
french team is like juventus in serie A.These are their similarities:
often helped by ****ing reffs
depends only on one player: french (zidanne) juve(del piero)
have so much luck

that's why team like french and juve suxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[San Siro]

Thank you very much for your very constructive and intelligent answer Lazio fan!
Well, i guess intelligence and Lazio fans don't go together!Unfortunately...

La victoire est en nous...pour toujours!

 

[Bodat]

Is this coming Olympic not in your agenda San_Siro??!

 

[San Siro]

I'll be watching the Olympics just as a neutral spectator.
The Olympics in football are good to win once...just to have it!
I'd rather concentrate on the World Cups and Euro's...
Maybe in the future, when the French Federation will give more importance to the olympics, i'll put it on my agenda

 

[Guest]

I like it, quite supportive...

 

[Bodat]

I hope Italy win this Olympic, so they can stop whinning about their lost in Euro!!

 

[IL TORO]

Hey San Siro 1, don't knock Lazio fans, just knock the glory hunter Lazio fans (there aren't that many).

 

[oliveira]

Congrats to the french team. You deserved the cup................but U all must admit that it takes a certain amount of luck to be champions. if the shoe was on the other foot i know that you would be complaining. i mean anelka was a yard offsides.....no call and the hand ball was called by the same linesman......foul play...no but at this level i expect linesman to get the right call. And against spain when zizzou jumped up in the air with his back turned...arms stretched in the box handling the ball..no call..foul play .no. every champion needs a bit of luck. count your blessings the french have a great core of players unlike the late 80s and early 90s. p.s would your coach still think it was a great moment in officaiting if the linesman spotted a portuguese pk in extra time.i think not. best of luck in 2002 and I hope we can meet again because it was a great game.

 

[San Siro]

You're right IL TORO!
Not all Lazio fans are like that!True Laziali have to be respected because they are among the most passionate tiffosi but i was obviously directing my answer to that (pseudo?)-Laziale!
Oliveira, i agree that luck is a decisive factor however, luck can be provoked by talent and luck always follows champions.
Concerning Anelka being offside of not on Henry's goal, i have the tape and i have watched it numerous times and HE WAS CLEARLY ONSIDE WHEN THE BALL WAS RELEASED!Then when he received it, he just flew past the defenders which made him look like being offside...but watch the action again and stop it when the ball is released

As far as the penalty goes well that's a tough call...but there was a handball!That is undeniable...and that may be a little bit too harsh to exit a tournament in which they have shone beautifully!

Portugal have a fantastic team and i'm really looking forward to seeing that great team again in a great tournament!
Forca Portugal!

That was indeed a great game!
Portugal see you in 2002...

 

[Bodat]

Luck can be provoked by talent??
Haha... haha...
What do you mean San_Siro??!

As for you Oliveira, Portugal were or are a great team!
I hope Portugal, France, Italy and Holland will meet again in WC2002 semifinal!!

[Edited by bodat on 17-07-2000 at 17:42]

 

[oliveira]

I guess i am watching the wrong game cause anelka is still offsides..now we just have to qualify and hope we see zizzou again. Its spilled milk right now anyways. I still say that I would love to see your reaction if the shoe was on your foot.

 

[Guest]

bodat you are gone crazy you are forgetting south american power like brazil and argentina

 

[EclipsE]

Hi San_Siro_1,

First of all I am not a band wagon jumper, the French team has been my second favorite team before the World Cup 98 and I have devoted quite a bit of emotion towards the French national team during the 3 years I have liked France.

To answer your question ("What should we, French fans and French team do in order to gain the due respect and due credits ?"). It is quite simple in my opinion:

The team/fans don't need to do a thing. They are World and European champions. Let's enjoy this moment, because winning two major tournments at the international level like Euro and WC is rarely going to happen again. It's all history, and you SanSiro (who I presume are French) should enjoy these two moments too the fullest and not worry about getting respect because the word "France" is enscribed on both the World Cup and Euro Trophy 2 years apart. That is something magical.

P.S. France has a GREAT group of youngsters coming and won't become a pushover when their current stars retire.

 

[San Siro]

Thank you very much dear Eclipse!
I believe you are right but it really annoys me to death seeing all these people saying that we won because of this and that and bla bla bla...in fact they don't want or rather can't admit that they lost against a better team.

Thanks once again for your support my friend!
Indeed that is magical winning the 2 biggest sporting event of the world in a row is something never done before and will be extremely difficult to realize again!

MERCI LES MECS!

 

[EclipsE]

It really annoys me to death too when even close friends take a hack at France and say they won on pure luck. All I do in those situations is CALMLY (sometimes the hardest part) breakdown France's road to winning.

Quarters Vs Spain

We got lucky when Zizou didn't get called for a hand ball and receive a yellow or even a red card. FACT.

They got lucky when Sergi (I think it was, who was the last man back) did a NFL tackle on Henry who was going on a brakeaway. He got only a yellow, that was clearly a red. 95% of the time that's a red, FACT.

They got sooo lucky when they received a penalty in the 90th mintute thanks to a world class diver named Abelardo. Watch the tape again, and see how he dives right when Barthez touches the ball.

Raul misses the penatly, our turn to be lucky.

Semi-final Vs. Portugal

I call the ball bouncing off a defender and straight into Nuno Gomes path a bit of luck, but it was a nice finish so I'll give credit to Nuno for that one.

Anelka goal I didn't watch the replay, but from what I remember it looked offside, we got some luck.

Then came the moment where all the Portugese and anti-French fans decided France had to be the worst team in the world just because they saw 20 Portugese players. Why? NO ONE denies it was a handball. The ball looked as if it was going into then net or at least hit the post. Now, I am taking into account the idea of this happening to the French, of course I would complain at first. But then if you think about it this call could have gone either way depending on the referee, but in any case this call wasn't that out of this world pro French refereeing because you see these things get called often and not called often. So we got lucky again.

So you're thinking "that's 2 lucky breaks to 0 for Portugal. If you weren't lucky you can't even score on the Portugese!".

This is where people are wrong. Watch the tape again and see how France was by far the better team in that game and then come back here and tell me France didn't deserve to win. Besides a brilliant momement from Gomes Portugal didn't create anything besides a Xavier header in the 90th minute compared to France who showed heart and determination in the 2nd half like I've seen only few teams do.

About the final I am not going to comment on but in this game we were even with the Italians, and in the end Lemarre's genious to bring in Wiltord, Trezeguet and Pires created both the French goals.

That's all for now, I hope you don't get bored reading this, but you probably will.

Bottom line is, France won, again.

 

[San Siro]

Eclipse, you're a GENIUS!
I could not have put it any better!
On the Spain game, the one with the "NFL tackle" was Paco and he did indeed deserve a redcard!

On Anelka being offside against Portugal, if you have the tape, stop the action just when Thuram releases the ball to Anelka!At the time of the ball being released, he is in the same line if not behind the last 2 portuguese defenders who are perfectly aligned on the edge of the box and then Nico's speed makes the rest and he took off which made him seem to be offside.

Anyways, when i was reading your last post i felt like if it was my story that you were telling!I too have some big problems to keep cool when not only close friends but RELATIVES try to discredit the french team!

 

[IL TORO]

I agree with you guys, France was abit lucky in the Portugal-France game but they were the better team.
In the final it was sheer French determination that won france the cup not luck, because they never gave up.
However in the first 90 minutes of the final I think Italy were playing the better game but after 90 mins it was all France. When the game had gone into et I knew we had lost. Lets not dwell too much on this topic though because it does get pretty boring.
To all the people who doubt Frances wc and euro wins, that is wrong because they won both trophies fair and square.

 

[San Siro]

Thank you El Toro!
"In the final it was sheer French determination that won france the cup not luck, because they never gave up."
"To all the people who doubt Frances wc and euro wins, that is wrong because they won both trophies fair and square"

That is exactly what i wanted to hear!
Much respect to you Toro!

 

[EclipsE]

I am so glad this topic is in this forum instead of a big forum that has a lot of idiots roaming around. At least we got some intelligent answers as you requested San_Siro. Nice to see an Italian fan be modest, especially when your team was so close from winning it.

And San_Siro_1, no need to thank me for anything, I am just supporting my second favorite team and trying to be clear minded about it.