FOOTBALL IS COMING HOME » France

Uproar over Racial Quotas in French Football

Peter Alegi — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:48:28 +0000

An investigative report by the Mediapart website revealed that numerous managers of the National Technical Directorate (DTN) and the French Football Federation (FFF) approved the “principle of discriminatory quotas” in November 2010. Their objective? To limit the number of players of West African and North African origin.

According to Mediapart, Laurent Blanc — manager of Les Bleus — would have played an active role in those discussions. It is alleged that Blanc highlighted the problem of players who spend three years in training in France and later go abroad to wear other teams’ jerseys. “Something like that cannot not create problems, it applies to the Latin Americans as well,” said Philippe Tournon, press officer of the national team.

At the heart of the problem, the report claims, is growing dissatisfaction among French managers, coaches, and administrators about players who are trained in France, develop into potential national team stars, and who then instead choose — for whatever reason — to represent another country thanks to their double citizenship. “The fact is, there is a large presence of bi-national players at the junior level,” said Fernand Duchaussoy, FFF President, “and some of them later do not want to be part of the national French team.” FIFA rules allow a player with double citizenship to play for a junior national team in one country and still go on to play for another country’s senior national team.

In response to the uproar that followed these revelations, Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno suspended FFF technical director Francois Blaquart, the author of a “quota chart” published on Thursday (May 5) by Mediapart. The explosive issue of racial quotas in French football is embedded in wider debates about immigration, race, and national identity in contemporary France. As Laurent Dubois puts it in Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France, “When a team takes to the field, the fans say, ‘They are us, and we are them.’ But sometimes that can also force a question: ‘Who are they? And who are we?’”

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Uruguay’s Opening Gambit

David Patrick Lane — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:33:30 +0000

The wires are reporting Oscar “El Maestro” Tabarez has already named his Uruguay team for the opening match against France on Friday. This is a classic opening gambit designed to take advantage of current French insecurities.

The French don’t know what they are doing in South Africa. “El Maestro” has just signaled the Uruguayans do. “The system we have chosen can adapt to the different things we could face against France,” said “El Maestro”.

Mauricio Victorino who plays for Universidad de Chile and midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios (pictured above) who enforces the midfield for Penarol in Montevideo, are solid squad players, but not stars. So what is behind El Maestro’s opening gambit? What is he really saying by including Vicotorino and Rios? What is he really up to?

The reflex among some Uruguayan commentators and bloggers is to express disbelief and sigh. But El Maestro is thinking deep here, which is what he has to do if Uruguay are going to go deep into the tournament and win the World Cup.

Uruguay do not need stars to beat France is also the message here.

Uruguay carry a poor discipline reputation and must be cautious in their opening fixture. The referees need to be sized up. What would be the point of introducing the likes of Victorino and Rios in the knock out stages, as replacements for better players. The World Cup is about the making best use of your squad. El Maestro is already doing just that.

Napoli’s Walter Gargano will surely return to the team ahead of Rios when games are on the line and the calibre of opposition is higher. Gargano is capable of both kicking shins (as Forlan found out in training a few days ago) and unleashing belters from outside the box. Just Ask James Richardson.

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Classic World Cup: France vs Senegal, 2002

Sean Jacobs — Sun, 30 May 2010 15:02:03 +0000

The opening match of the 2002 World Cup in May 2002 in Seoul, South Korea. Defending champions France against World Cup first timers Senegal. France had a uninspiring run to the World Cup (world champions don’t qualify). Senegal has a young team–standouts: Papa Bouba Diop, Kalilou Fadiga, El Hadji Diouf. France threatens first. David Trezeguet hits the bar. Then that goal. Watch for yourself.

* Senegal finished second and France last in their group. In the round of 16 Senegal beat Sweden 2-1, then lose 0-1 to Turkey in the quarterfinals (after extra time). Most of its players moved to the English Premier League (most notably El Hadji Diouf to Liverpool), but the team declined soon after. Oh, and France they’re in the World Cup after Thierry Henry used his hands.

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Pot Observations

David Patrick Lane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:38:38 +0000

TEN POT OBSERVATIONS.

1. FIFA got the seedings right. Pot 1 seeds earned their ranking. France did not. France’s final appearance was four years ago.

2. Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay have come out of the pot alignment better than most. Each of the smaller South American nations will avoid the big five African qualifiers in the 1st Round.

3. Argentina and Brazil cannot avoid the African qualifiers from Pot 3. The seeds for two potential Groups of Death have now been sown. Has FIFA put Brazil at risk for an early bath?

4. The most frightening Group of Death would be: Brazil, Mexico, Côte d’Ivoire and Portugal.

5. The dark horse of Pot 2 is Honduras.

6. The tournament’s top scorer will probably find his country drawn against New Zealand in the 1st Round.

7. Slovenia will not be the dark horse of Pot 4. Slovakia might be.

8. South Africa need the luck of the draw more than most. The hosts will hope to be grouped with both New Zealand and Slovenia. So will every other team from Pots 1 and 3, for that matter.

9. Algeria could draw both France and Germany. The Desert Foxes will appreciate the luck of being thrown into that particular garlic and beer feed chicken coop.

10. Italy could renew some old acquaintances. North Korea can beat Italy, again. And Chile can beat Italy up, again.

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Le Cheat

Peter Alegi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:25:14 +0000

Ireland was robbed. Pure and simple. My 8-year-old daughters watched the Henry hand ball with gaping eyes. One proffered: “Just like I do in basketball!” Her sister then deadpanned: “And there was an offside on the pass.” Children have an amazing way of stating the truth, don’t they?

In his Hall of Shame acceptance speech, Thierry Henry said: “I will be honest, it was a hand ball. But I’m not the ref,” Henry said. “I played it. The ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him.”

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Argentina in Good Company

David Patrick Lane — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:49:07 +0000

Klaus Fischer’s famous bicycle kick.

Papers, podcasts and blogs are full of the demise of Argentina. Maradona makes good press. His Anglo detractors remain bitter. The Argentine domestic game is bankrupt. Yet, despite the noise, Argentina remain poised to qualify. The competition in South America is that stale. A home win against lowly Peru in October should almost certainly seal their South Atlantic passage.

Argentina’s poor form has somehow detracted attention from the failings of some of Europe’s marquee performers.

It may not be so obvious yet, except perhaps in the case of France, but Germany and Italy are also not yet assured of group success, and other notables such as Portugal have been missing in action. Germany and Italy may currently lead their respective groups, but both nations are responsible for some seriously disjointed football and a second place playoff remains a possibility for those three European football superpowers. Argentina is in good company.

Meanwhile, Africa’s Black Stars are shining bright, her Elephants are thundering South, her Indomitable Lions have been aroused and are hungry again, and her Desert Foxes are executing an cunning plan.

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No Hope for Lithuania?

David Patrick Lane — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:19:11 +0000

Lithuania began well beating Romania 3-0 and Austria 2-0. The dream of qualification seemed possible until they were swept away by Serbia’s nouvelle vague. Three straight 1-0 defeats home and away to France and at home to Romania have probably ended Lithuania’s South African aspirations.

But as long as Raymond Domenech is the coach of France, Lithuania (like Austria and Romania) must continue to hope. If the stars are not aligned to Raymond’s liking and France fail to get points from their September fixtures against Romania and Serbia, Lithuania could find themselves will it all to play for in October. Serbia may provide an accommodating final fixture opponent.

Jose Coucerio, Lithuania’s journeyman Portuguese coach, will be sure to take his upcoming trip to Toftir seriously. He will need all of his violins.

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Loose Cocks on the Veld – France 2010

David Patrick Lane — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:53:49 +0000

Somehow or other France managed to lose their opening qualifier 3-1 in Vienna. (This to the very same Austria who then went to Lithuania and the Faroe Islands on tour with Megadeath. The Austrians came home with only one point, but they make great party and met lots of pretty blond girls.) France has since only dropped two points, the result of a hard fought draw in Romania. Some would say a point gained. A 2-1 home win over Serbia was followed by two dour 1-0 home and away wins against Lithuania. Last week, France won 1-0 in Tórshavn in a game that could have been mistaken for a new age spiritualist retreat. Readers may begin to see a pattern developing here. Extracting thirteen qualifiers from this UEFA lot is not pretty. Even the French have become ugly.

FIFA’s website tends to accentuate the positive with respect to the current French outfit, noting their “potential” while reminding readers that “France has always enjoyed a more cyclical relationship with success”. We too could wax lyrical on the great goalscoring record of Just Fontaine, the “magic diamond” of Tigana, Fernandez, Giresse and Platini, as well as the champion achievements of Blanc, Desailly, Deschamps, Djorkaeff, Thuram, Zidane and Co. Thankfully, there is a more compelling story than the failure of a flaky French coach to harness France’s nouvelle vague. It is the story of the players themselves.

If France can advance to and from the 2nd place playoff, then at the least the World Cup may have interesting French players, if not interesting French football. It is unfortunate the French nouvelle vague has to contend with an oil slick of management and sulky debris.

South Africa will be richer if the migrant stories of Benzema, Ben Afra, and Nasir are woven into the tournament. We hope to to be able to share those stories here, though our “Players Who Won’t Be Missed” series may soon have a sulky French flavour.

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Austria and the Revenge of the Desert Foxes

David Patrick Lane — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:07:44 +0000

[So to Group 7. Serbia seem sure to advance. France are well positioned also. The rest are reliant on France falling over themselves. The golden era of Faroe Islands football may have passed.]

It is often forgotten that Austria has some football pedigree. The inter-war years saw Central Europe develop a contrasting style of play to the hoof and charge of the British game. Austrians, Czechs, Hungarians and the other nationalities and ethnic groups who made those countries dynamic and interesting, had fused football into a game based on narrow exchanges, firm organization and superior technical ability. It was known as the Danubian School.

Italy was taking notes. Austrian coaches were demonstrating the finer details on chalkboards at clubs all over the country. The cappuccinos kept on coming. Train timetables were reorganized. And the best refs always arrived on time.

The Czechs and Hungarians each fell to the Azzuri in the ’34 final and ’38 final, respectively. Forgotten finalists. Even more forgotten were the Austrians. Forgotten semi finalists. There was the potential of an Austrian Swan Song in 1954, but the Austrians found their German cousins waiting for them in the semis. Germany was now in the business of mastering football.

If you can’t beat them, join them.

And so to the dark cellar of the Austrian game, where Algerian hopes have languished since 1982. It is painful to recall the infamous, fixed fixture between (West) Germany and Austria on June 25th in España ’82.

Algeria had given the Germans one hell of a beating in the opening group game, 2-1, lost 2-0 to the Austrians, but finished with a flourish beating Chile 3-2. Unfortunately for Algeria, their Chilean fixture took place the day before Austria were scheduled to play the Germans in Gijón. An Austrian victory would see Algeria advance, as would a German win by 2 goals or more. The Austrians and Germans had calculated a 1-0 German win would see both German speaking nations through. And so it was. The match was a farce. The ignominious Germans scored quickly and then both teams sat back and waited for the final whistle.

Can Austrian football ever distinguish itself again?

The Austrian game is now only marginally more exciting than watching grass grow, with a 1-1 draw in Tórshavn their most uninspired performance of the campaign thus far.

Austria are three points behind France and have played a game more. Qualification seems improbable. However, the French are somehow still managed by Raymond Domenech. Really. It’s true. And the French still have a very difficult trip down the Danube to Belgrade. If Austria can win three very winnable fixtures (at home to the Faroe Islands, away in Romania, and at home to Lithuania) they may arrive in St. Denis in October with qualification at stake.

If it comes to that, I may end up “rooting” for Austria. Algeria currently lead Group C in the African qualifiers. The Desert Foxes have waited nearly 30 years for justice. I would get a macabre joy from watching Austria getting annihilated by Algeria. I am sure many Algerians would enjoy the match also, but many more would probably prefer their Foxes have a chance to face the flat football nation is now France.

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Florent Malouda can’t sing

Editor — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:43:55 +0000

The Chelsea and France winger joined reggae singer Fantan Mojan on stage at a reggae festival in French Guyana in the Caribbean (Malouda’s birthplace). They also fooled around with a football.

[Via Dirty Tackle]

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