It could have been a great game. No, scratch that. It SHOULD have been a great game ! The current world champions against their runner-up.

Italy against France.

On the field, some of the greatest players of all time…

But in the end, the game was one of the worst of the tournament.

If Italy deserved the victory they got, based on the games they played, they did not deserve to advance to the quarterfinals all that much.

On the other hand, France lost everything and it is totally coherent if you look at the game they played during their week in Switzerland.

How much fans regret the Italian and French teams from 1998-2000. They faced each other in France for the 1998 World Cup and in the Netherlands during the 2000 European championship. And both games were far better than what we got to watch this time.
(read full article…)

On April Fool’s day, French manager Raymond Domenech made a joke : he announced on the French Federation’s website that his national team would not participate in Euro 2008.

At the time, some people laughed or at least smiled at the idea. Today, many of them wish it had been the truth. Because Domenech’s players did not live up to the hopes of 60 million French fans, who think the team should be ashamed of its performances.

Two years after bringing les Bleus to the world cup final in Germany, Raymond Domenech is threatened… A decision on whether he remains national coach will be made on July 3.
When he was asked about his future after the 2-0 defeat against Italy, he proposed to his girlfriend and mother of his children Estelle Denis (who is a famous journalist / anchorwoman in France). An answer that clearly upset French fans, many of whom are aking for Domenech to be fired.

Because if Raymond Domenech led the team to the final two years ago, he is not – nor has ever been – loved by the French audience like former coach Aimé Jacquet, ho led the team to the world cup trophy ten years ago. But the truth is Aimé Jacquet was very criticized by both media and fans in France prior to the world cup in 1998.

The difference is one of them actually won the world cup…

The other thing that people do not like about Raymond Domenech is the way he answers questions. Most of the time he is ironic…

Of course he is not agressive. When you watch his press conferences, he is actually pretty nice… joking with journalists. But he does not say anything interesting about the game or the team itself

There really is something about communication that Domenech does not like.
And it just so happens that there really is something about Raymond Domenech that French fans don’t like.

Maybe it is the fact that he has never won anything (except for a second division title in the late eighties).

Maybe it is the way he answers – or does not answer – the questions he is asked.

Maybe it is the sardonic smile he has everytime someone asks him something…

Whatever it is, it will all count against him on July 3rd, the day the French federation will give its decision…

By Roxanne Roche

By Hasan Saiyid
Euro2008TV.com

Go ahead, write Italy off yet again.  Around the last game of the group stage of every major international tournament, Italy find themselves in a familiar position: do-or-die, with ruthless journalists (foreign and Italian) waiting to sound the Azzurri death knell.  Then, somehow, the Italians wriggle their way through, serving crow for the skeptics.

It seems Italy’s World Cup win of two years ago has done nothing to change the common perception that Italian football is an anachronism in a time that proffers the majestic Dutch and Spanish teams.  After all, which neutral would not be seduced watching the two? Even the normally prudent TSN commentator and former West Ham goalkeeper Craig Forrest could not resist being caught up in the Holland-France post-game euphoria. “That is the way football should be played,” he opined.

Maybe it is. I certainly cannot begrudge those who relish football for different reasons. Yet it is at the business end of tournaments that teams should really be weighed in the balance.  How many times have we been witness to false Spanish dawns? And cast your mind back to Euro2000. Did not the Dutch mesmerize then too, crushing Yugoslavia 6-1 only to then be outfought by, yes, Italy in the semi-finals?  Admittedly, there is something special about this Dutch side as their trouncing of Italy and France has shown, but it is early days yet.  And as Italian teams in the past have shown, peaking at the right time is key to winning international tournaments.

The reaction to Italy’s progress yesterday has been ambivalent. Their fans could not be happier, but the neutrals are cringing at another prospect of Italy going all the way.  Reverting to anachronistic stereotypes themselves, they apparently cannot bear the thought of dour, defensive Italy notching up a cynical win against the Spanish.  If there was evidence for their aversion, you could be more forgiving.  But the truth is Italy in the post-Trapattoni era have been a very attractive side to watch. They have enterprising fullbacks in Fabio Grosso and Gianluca Zambrotta, and in Andrea Pirlo an elegant playmaker. However, their most crucial player may well be the dynamic Daniele De Rossi. He is certainly one of the most complete midfielders in circulation, and proved it yesterday, as he scored and dictated midfield play in Italy’s 2-0 defeat of France. Further up the park, Antonio Cassano and Alessandro Del Piero are quintessential creative players while Luca Toni, though still yet to find his feet in this tournament, is a handful for defences.

Even allowing for Dutch largesse in beating Romania 2-0 in a game that meant absolutely nothing to them, Italy certainly deserve to be facing Spain in the quarterfinals. Predictably, pundits have started reaching for neat little clichés to describe the encounter.  It will be the “free-flowing” Spaniards versus the “hard-nosed” Italians, writes BBC writer Phil McNulty.

I do not buy the style and substance dichotomy. It is too easy.  Football is about finer details and, for my money, about results. I would much rather Italy progress cynically than exit the stage theatrically.

(read full article…)

by Roxane Coche
Euro2008TV.com Writer

“They should be ashamed of themselves, all of them should”. This might seem harsh towards the French team but I have heard this sentence several times last night after the loss against the Netherlands.

Once again, Thierry Henry has not been the long-awaited saviour of their team. Or no, actually he was for about 30 seconds… Because that’s how long it took Arjen Robben to beat Coupet completely after Henry scored in Van der Sar’s far corner.

That’s what made the difference between the Oranjes and the Bleus : realism. The statistics prove it. France shot 25 times with only 7 shots on target and scored once… The Dutch shot 16 times with just 9 on target and … scored 4 goals !

(read full article…)

Written by Roxance Coche
Euro2008TV.com Writer

Back in 2006, Florent Malouda was the unquestionable left winger on the French squad. But in 2 years time, things have changed.

Malouda has been very criticized for his performance against Romania He’s actually the one that has been the most criticized by French fans and media. But Raymond Domenech keeps on defending him.”He had a chance to score after a great dribble. Most players didn’t have such an occasion”, he says.

Alright. It is his job after all. To protect his players.

But whatever he says, Malouda does not have the same impact he had two years ago. But, it is understandable… Back in 2006, it was not only Malouda’s presence who was indisputable int he starting 11, it was the duo Eric Abidal - Florent Malouda. At the time both players played together in Lyon (France) and had a chemistry few players have on the left side of a soccer field. Today, Abidal plays in Barcelone, Malouda in Chelsea… And both have had irregular performances this season.

So is their supremacy on the French left side over ? Nothing is less sure.

If Eric Abidal could be easily replaced by Patrice Evra, winner of the European Champions League with Manchester this season, there is no player used to playing at the same position as Malouda. Two other international French players could do it, Jérôme Rothen (Paris SG) and Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon) but neither of them was chosen by Raymond Domenech to go to Switzerland and Austria.

Of course Franck Ribéry and Sidney Govou have played left winger with their teams (respectively Bayern München and Lyon) before but it is far from being their favorite area.

According to reports by French media, Raymond Domenech tried to put Lassana Diarra in Malouda’s place during yesterday’s practice…

But Florent Malouda is not out of the starting players yet. First, even though he has been irregular with Chelsea, he has (almost) always been part of the starting team, as he pointed out last Sunday during the Press conference : “No matter who was my coach, I have always been part of the starting 11…I guess they have their reasons”.

Second, Raymond Domenech doesn’t like change that much. Even though he has warned everyone of his intentions to alter the team Florent Malouda imposed on the French three years ago… Taking him out of the starting team would be the beginning of a new chaper. Taking both Abidal and Malouda out would be the end of an era. Are Raymond Domenech and his team ready for such a change ?

Written by Roxane Coche
Euro2008TV.com Writer

0-0… The first game of France in this European championship turned out to be a boring draw against Romania. 12 shots for France, 9 for Romania… Only one shot on target from France, none from Romania…

And if those poor statistics are not enough to prove how insipid France was, check out the only shot on target by Les Bleus :

It looks like Karim Benzema was afraid to score, like all he wanted was to have one shot on target in his statistics…

Of course, he has an excuse, he’s young and inexperienced in such major tournaments. Remember Franck Ribéry two years ago : until he scored against the Spaniards in 1/8 finals, he barely seized his chance to shoot and when he did it was almost never on target… Maybe all Karim Benzema needs is to score once to play like he did all year long with Lyon… But when will that happen ? And most importantly, how will it happen ?

The positive thing (yes there is one positive thing) is the players and the coach know that both their game and the match was far from being good… So they will be able to do some changes… We will know Friday night at 8h45 pm (2h45 pm ET) what changes were made…

Two years ago, France also started the world cup with a draw against Switzerland (0-0) and still qualified for the 1/8 finals with 5 points.

The difference is: back then, South Korea and Togo completed the group. This year, Les Bleus now have to face Italy and the Netherlands… The world champions and the team who humiliated the world champions 3-0 the same day the French players could not score once against Romania…

But French fans still have hope for several reasons :

1 – Romania also held the Oranjes in Rotterdam in March 2007 before beating them in Romania 1-0 in October. As a result, Romania finished first of the qualifying group.
2 – Romania’s style is to “not take a goal”. They don’t play that much. They defend and counter-attack. Considered as the weakest team in the group, they’re happy to get a draw against France… The Azzurri and the Oranjes do not play that way and French people know them better than they do Romania.
3 –Thierry Henry should be back against the Netherlands. And Patrick Vieira might be too.
4 – Italy’s start is even worse than theirs… Something that lifts the French spirits up a little since we all know the two nations are the best “friennemies” when it comes to soccer.
5 – Since Raymond Domenech has been manager of the team, the team’s level improves as the competition goes on.
6 – Raymond Domenech is expected to make some changes to the team.

But whatever happens against the Netherlands, many French fans have one dream : that the teams plays its qualification against Italy next Tuesday. It might be risky but if France wins, what a good revenge it would be after their tragic loss in the final two years ago !

Written by Tom Cremins

Euro2008TV.com

Based on their opening day performances, the advantage would seem to be with the Dutch camp ahead of Friday’s match against France in the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, Berne. Kick off is at 8.45 pm local time, 2.45 EST. The Netherlands put three goals past the current world champions in the same venue earlier in the week and that should do wonders for their confidence, and help settle nerves before their next game.
The French on the other hand laboured against a resolute Romanian team and failed to show the guile necessary to defeat an opponent that was clearly playing for a draw. But let’s not underestimate the Romanians. They have some very talented players, are well organized and will doubtless give a good account of themselves when they take on the Italians and Dutch.

France have considerable depth in their squad, and if Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera are back in the starting line-up, then they should show a marked improvement in their play and pose a more coherent threat to Holland than the Italians did on Tuesday. And in Bayern Münich star Franck Ribéry, France have a midfielder capable of turning any game on its head.
The Dutch on the other hand have more injury worries to be concerned about. Arjen Robben (read full article…)

France could not break down the stubborn Romanian defence and have suffered the first setback of the tournament dropping two points to a solid Romanian side. Many expect this group to be have a tight qualification with and possibly having it decided by goal differential.

France were lacklustre and failed to score in their opening Euro 2008 game against Romania which could leave them with an uphill task to qualify.

Missing influential midfielder Vieira and main striker Henry, they created little against the hard-working but unambitious Romanians.