Le Bleus act like brats
0 
Johannesburg - It would be easy to tritely argue that the full-blown insurrection by France's Soccer World Cup players shows that the long-admired French spirit of revolution is alive, well and refusing to practice free-kicks in a field in South Africa.
But these rebellious Bleus aren't hungry peasants clamoring for morsels of brioche and a modicum of justice, they're multi millionaires blessed with fantasy lives many of their fans would give their left legs for.
And unforgivably, they're acting like spoiled brats.
Refusing to train. Cursing their coach. Sulking en masse on their team bus, curtains drawn. Having tantrums in view of television cameras.
"Everyone in the whole world is mocking us now," winger Franck Ribery says. "I'm furious, because we're not playing football anymore."
The shame of it. Forget about medals for services to la Belle France. Monsieur Sarkozy, please make a note: This lot deserve the Legion of Dishonor.
How sad.
The glorious days of 1998 when France fell head over heels in love with its multi-ethnic World Cup-winning team of "Blacks, Blancs, Beurs" - blacks, whites and Arabs - feel so far away now.
Twelve years ago, in the footballers' faces flashed up in lights on the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris, France saw itself and loved what it saw. One nation, one people, united behind Zinedine Zidane.
Now, the French are one nation united in disillusion with Les Bleus. One reason why this drawn-out, crockery-hurling divorce with the team has hurt so much for the French is that the love of 1998 felt so good.
Coach Raymond Domenech will get much of the flak for the meltdown in France's World Cup camp. Rightly so. During his six years in charge of the national team, he has proved to be a poor manager, incapable of building harmony. France's stars grace some of Europe's most successful clubs. But when brought together for national duties under Domenech, they struggle to score and struggle to win. Having failed to hit the net in two matches at this World Cup, they are within a whisker of going home.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments