Cissé IN, Carrière OUT and more...

Cisse shocked at call to join France greats

Thursday 2nd May 2002

Auxerre forward Djibril Cisse has admitted he was stunned at being called into the France World Cup squad on Tuesday, despite firing 20 goals in 28 league games this season.

The 20-year-old, whose goals have taken Auxerre into the final Champions' League qualifying spot, had expected to join up with Raymond Domenech's Under-21 squad at the European Championships in Switzerland later this month, when he received the call from Henri Emile, assistant to France coach Roger Lemerre.

"I only found out about the call up the day before the press was told," he said. "Henri Emile called me on my mobile as I was on my way to training and at first I thought it was a practical joke.

"When I got to the stadium I asked the coach [Guy Roux] to double check. Before that phone call I had never had contact with anybody from the national side and I have never spoken to Roger Lemerre in my life. For me the French team was in front of the television. It is an enormous surprise."

Cisse is not expected to start for France in Japan and Korea, but he insists he will benefit enormously from the experience.

"Even if I go to the World Cup just to play seven against seven in training against [Zinedine] Zidane and the others, I know that I will learn a lot," he told L'Equipe. "I will be a little guy amid the greats."

"The idea of meeting up with Zidane, [Marcel] Desailly, [Christophe] Dugarry and the others makes me nervous. I'm very shy. I've only seen Zidane once in my life but now we're going to wear the same shirt. I've got to try and get used to the idea. I know my heart will beat very strongly."

Cisse's lightning pace has seen him compared favourably to Thierry Henry and he can boast the finishing touch of David Trezeguet. But Cisse was quick to credit Auxerre coach Guy Roux who has worked on developing the young striker's game this season.

"My main quality is speed," he said. "I've never timed myself over 100 metres but I'm easily under 11 seconds.

"For a long time I got by just on my speed but Guy Roux has made me work hard on all other aspects of my game and he was right.

"I've been working on my left foot and my headers and the last three goals I've scored in the Championnat have all been with head. Hard work always finishes by paying off."

Victory in their final game of the season at home to Rennes on Saturday would assure Auxerre of a qualifying place for the Champions' League next season and the coveted striker insists he has no intention of missing out on that experience despite a flurry of interest from leading clubs around Europe.

"I will not leave Auxerre," he said. "It has already been decided. This squad wants to play in the Champions' League together next season and show what we have achieved is no accident. I have no desire to leave this squad - not this year."

onefootball

carrière told himself on his website that lemerre won't take him. Lemerre said him by phone that he "had a choice to make"...

lemerre and his sibylline sentences... and choices.

i'd rather say "un-understandable"...

- i don't understand a man that selects players who don't play or didn't play for the major part of the season : djorkaeff, micoud, boghossian, dugarry. i wouldn't be surprised if he finally calls diomède back...

- i don't understand a man that selects players who don't play when he claims that players have to play and be regulars in their clubs to expect being selected.

- I don't understand a man that prefers players who don't play to players who play good in their clubs and in the NT : marlet, carrière, lamouchi.
but we can add luccin, dalmat and robert to this list too. sagnol wouldn't even be there if karembeu wasn't injured !!!

- I don't understand a man that gives confidence to players during 2 years and doesn't call them for the crucial moment...

- i don't understand a man that says : "whistling karembeu is an insult to my country !" and doesn't support his players when they expect him to join them in their anti-FN axe.


i don't want to make politics here but for me his "connerie" climax was when i read in Le Monde that he didn't want to react or express a single opinion about Jean-Marie Le Stylo ... as well as other players... i don't even want to give their name ... that makes me :
:yuck:

who is schizo lemerre ? human paradox or human insanity ?
oh oh ! i think the answer is within the question...





i hope my post won't be judged too severely. i'm really proud of this team , these players and their football. but concerning the coach...

i'm not very well aware of the french nt squad.

but, when i hear that carriere is out, not sue to injury, it makes me wonder if the coach has some loose screws.

what the hell is djorkaeff doing there?? he was finished when inter sold him.

boghossian never plays and he is hopeless anyway.

micoud is a top player, and it makes me wonder why parma doesnt play him more often.

Stephan Dalmat of Inter is the classiest player after Zidane and if ZZ gets injured, he shuold replace him.

Also, since Pires is out, Dalmat should really take his place.

is Lamouchi in the side?? he should be as he has played great all season for parma.

Karembeu isnt in is he??? please say no, he isnt good!!

Cisse is better than Anelka, not sure why Anelka is a striker if he never scores or does anything.