France: the Facts!

Claire said: strike that pose one more time and I’m outahere!

Area: 551.500 square kilometers.
Inhabitants: 61 milion.
Capital: Paris.
Federation: Federation Francaise de Football.
Website: www.fff.fr.
Jersey colors: bleu shirt, white shorts, blue socks.
Captain: Patrick Vieira (although he might be dropped due to injury; Flamini has been brought back in)
Star: Thierry Henry.
EC-history: Champs 1984 abd 2000.
Team manager: Raymond Domenech.
EC-quakification: runners-up in poule B.
Topscorer EC-qualifications: Thierry Henry (6).

Star: Thierry Henry
Henry left his big football love Arsenal but also his wife Claire and his daughter Tea. Torn by grief he couldn’t show in Catalunia why he still is the big man in the French national team. Henry only scored 12 goals last season. However, in his own French squad, he still feels very much at home, scoring 6 times in the EC qualifications. At the moment, he surpassed Michel Platini as all time goals scorer for Les Blues.

Henry won everything with France one can win. The world title in 1998 and the European title in Rotterdam in 2000. The lost finals in 2006 against Italy was the only smudge on his brilliant career.

The 30 year old wants to grab his third prize with the French in ten years. “In 2010 I’ll be almost 33 years old. I’d like to go to the WC, but I might be too old then.”

This EC will have to end his dreadful personal and professional year.

Team manager Domenech has all confidence in Henry. The manager didn’t need Trezeguet and Cisse for this EC, but didn’t once doubt the contribution of his star striker. “Thierry will show the world why I selected him.”

I’m not sure if we should take this man too seriously, though. He apparently decided to leave Trezeguet out of the squad because his star sign is Libra. “And that means he could cause problems in the squad…”.

WHAT?