Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies

School of Law, Bangalore

French Level-1 Term-End Submission -Semester III

French Football

Submitted by: Abhishek Mishra

81021219016

Submitted to: Prof. Vandana Devatwal

French level-1

BBA LLB 2019-2024

Introduction
France's national football team (French: Équipe de France de football) represents France in
international men's football and is managed by the Fédération Française de Football, also
known as the FFF. The colours of the team are blue, white and red, and its emblem is coq
gaulois. France is known colloquially as Les Bleus (The Blues). Having won the most recent
World Cup final in 2018, they are the reigning world champions.

Official crest of the team

Overview of the French National Football Team:

Confederation: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)

Head Coach: Didier Deschamps
Captain: Hugo Lloris
Most Caps: Lilian Thuram (142 appearances)
Top Scorer: Thiery Henry (51 official Goals)
Home Stadium: Stade de France, Paris
Major Trophies won:

o FIFA World Cup: 1998, 2018

o UEFA European Champions: 1984, 2000
o FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001, 2003

History of Football in France:

The France national team was officially founded in 1904, shortly before FIFA’s foundation in
the same year (they had, however, participated in the 1900 Olympic Games and won a silver
medal). They played their first official match against Belgium in Brussels, securing a 3-3
draw. The following year, they played their first home match at the famous Parc des Princes,
defeating Switzerland in front of close to 500 fans. This was followed by a couple of heavy
losses, including a memorable 0-15 defeat to England in 1906.

Identity Crisis:

Before FIFA's creation, France contested international matches under the Union des Sociétés
Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), the now-defunct French sports union.

Early on in its history, France struggled with identity issues. Most of these issues were the
product of a disagreement between FIFA and the USFSA, the main sports union in France.
These disagreements came to a head just before the 1908 Olympics, resulting in FIFA and the
USFSA sending two separate French teams to the competition. The main difference between
the teams, other than the players, were that France A, who were controlled by FIFA, matches
would be recorded as official matches and France B, who were controlled by the USFSA,
matches would not. The teams arrived in the city on the same day as the matches, following
an extensive journey by boat and train from France. France B were eliminated in the quarter-
finals following a 0–9 defeat by Denmark, while France A went out in the semi-finals to the
same team following a 1–17 crushing.

Later that year, the CFI (French Interfederal Committee) intervened by stating that FIFA
would be responsible for the national team from that point onward. After failing to reach a
satisfying agreement, the USFSA eventually disbanded, becoming semi-affiliated with the
CFI in 1913. Six years later, the CFI transformed into the French Football Federation we
have today. 
Early World Cup Debacles:

France took part in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. They became the first team
in their opening game to score a World Cup goal (courtesy of Lucien Laurent) on their way to
a 4-1 victory over Mexico. However, France bowed out in the group stage after losing their
remaining two matches to Argentina and Chile. As Les Bleus were defeated in the opening
round by Austria, the 1934 World Cup ended up being another disappointing showing.

Four years later, on their home soil, France had a chance to go a step further. They managed
to beat old rivals Belgium 3-1 on two goals from Jean Nicolas, after qualifying for the
competition automatically. The quarter-final match pitted them against Italy's defending
champions, who came out victorious, finally defending their title by defeating Hungary in the
final. This was the last World Cup that France will have a chance to play in for a while
because of WWII.

Glimpse of a Potential Football Powerhouse:

The first "golden generation" of France arrived during the '50s. They quickly transformed
into a team that demanded respect from every opposition, led by visionary dynamo Raymond
Copa and prolific striker Just Fontaine. This squad made its debut at the 1954 World Cup,
where after a loss to Yugoslavia 0-1 in their opener, they were unable to escape their division.
With a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mexico, they completed their tournament.

France cruised through the 1958 World Cup qualifiers, eager to prove that the 1954 World
Cup display was only a temporary setback. As they advanced from the group and beat
Northern Ireland 4-0 on their way to the semi-finals against Pelé's Brazil, their strong run
continued in the proper tournament. They lost 5-2, but managed in the third-place match to
beat West Germany. With 13 goals, Fontaine finished the tournament, a record that still
stands today.

Two years later, one of four countries to make it to the final stage of the inaugural European
Championship was Les Bleus. However without either Copa or Fontaine, they were forced to
play, which led to a stunning 4-5 defeat to Yugoslavia. France allowed its rivals to score three
goals in less than four minutes, despite a 4-2 lead in the 75th minute, knocking them out of
the game. They went on to lose 0-2 in the third-place match to Czechoslovakia.
Fall from grace calls for dark days:

Much of the golden generation had withdrawn by the early 60s, which contributed to a
significant slump in both form and performance. France qualified for the next major
tournament was the 1966 World Cup, but going winless in the six friendlies before the
tournament did not inspire much trust in the squad. They finished last in their group at the
World Cup itself which featured Mexico, Uruguay and eventual champions England.

A series of subpar results persisted over the next decade, as France struggled to qualify for
any major tournaments. The French Football Federation hired and fired managers on a
regular basis during this time, but nothing seemed to be generating results. This continued
until the appointment of Michel Hidalgo in 1976, as well as the arrival of Midfield Maestro
Michel Platini to lead a young new generation.

Platini Era:

Michel Platini is next to Thierry Henry the greatest goal scorer in the history of Les Bleus,
France's national football team, with 41 goals (and with a higher scoring average than Henry)
and regarded as one of the most lauded and prominent figures in international football of all
time. The football icon Michel Platini has served as a successful offensive midfielder, captain
as well as manager of the French team.

Platini at 1982 FIFA World Cup

Born in a family of Italian immigrants on June 21st, 1955 in Joeuf, north-eastern France, the
distinctively talented and ambitious Michel had aspired to become a professional soccer
player from an early age. In 1972, while still in his teens, he joined the reserve team of the
French football club AS Nancy where his father Aldo Platini served as director and the
following year he made his first division debut with Nancy club.

Career Statistics:

 Senior Career

Years Team Apps (Goals)

1972–1979 Nancy 181 (98)
1979–1982 Saint-Étienne 104 (58)
1982–1987 Juventus 147 (68)
Total 432 (224)

 International Career:

Years Team Apps (Goals)

1975- 1976 France Olympic 7 4
1976–1987 France 72 41
1988 Kuwait 1 0

Four years later, France came back with a vengeance after a group stage exit at the 1978
World Cup. France cruised to a semi-final match against West Germany with the Carré
Magique of Platini, Tigana, Giresse, and Fernández bossing the midfield. West Germany
came back from a 1-3 deficit in overtime in one of the best matches in World Cup history and
won the game on penalties. In the third-place match, France then lost to Poland 2-3.

They continued their great run at the 1984 Euro, which was their first European
Championship in 24 years. The Carré Magique was in full swing this time around with
Tigana and Fernández playing as deep-footed playmakers, Giresse on the wings, and Platini
behind the striker. France went on to win all five matches in the tournament in spite of some
intense competition, winning their first major trophy. In the competition, Platini's 9 goals are
still a record.
France remained the favourite to win the 1986 World Cup, despite Hidalgo leaving the team
after the Euro. Nevertheless, injuries to Platini and Giresse — both of whom played through
injections — gave their World Cup hopes a hard blow. Les Bleus lost again to West Germany
0-2 in the semi-finals after squeezing past defending champions Italy and Brazil in the
knockout stages. They secured their best-ever third place result in the competition with a 4-2
win over Belgium.

At Euro 1984, his outstanding goalscoring prowess propelled him to score a record of 9 goals
in 5 matches, including 2 hat-tricks finessed into perfection, becoming the 1984 UEFA top
scorer and giving the French national team its first-ever international trophy. Michel Platini
retired three years later, aged 32, in full glory and with "no regrets", despite the fact that a
FIFA World Cup trophy has never found a place in his impressive haul of silverware he
proudly displays.

Throughout his remarkable and prolific professional soccer player career spanning 15 years,
Platini won three consecutive European Footballer of the Year awards (1983-1985) as well as
two prestigious World Footballer of the Year awards in 1984 and 1985, among numerous
other distinctions.

The journey that Followed:

Platini took over as France's manager after putting his playing career to an end in 1988. He
introduced talented young people like Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, and Didier Deschamps to
the veteran centre immediately, but the results were obviously mixed. After 19 straight
matches and nearly three years undefeated, France bowed out in the Euro 1992 group stage.
Platini stepped down soon afterwards as the team's manager.

The 1994 World Cup qualifiers, particularly once the team went on a 7-match unbeaten
streak, seemed like a good opportunity to bounce back. A surprising 2-3 loss to Israel,
however, meant that in their last match against Bulgaria, France had to remain unbeaten, the
only team who could catch up with them. Until the final 30 seconds, they held on to a 1-1
draw, at which point Kostadinov scored a counter-attack goal and knocked France out of the
competition.
Zinedine Zidane: France’s New Hope:

Zinedine Zidane is one of the most famous French football players of all time, widely
regarded as a master of the fundamentals and techniques of the game. He is known for his
excellent control and dribbling skills, his magic ball touch, his focused vision and great
leadership traits. During his active soccer years, no player would surpass the way he
controlled and received the ball. In his active years, he was celebrated as the top-notch player
for France. His excellence in football has bestowed Zidane some coveted awards and awards
such as the FIFA World Player of the Year thrice, and the Ballon D'Or once.

Zidane at 1998 FIFA World Cup

Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille, France, on June 23, 1972. At the tender age of five,
young Zidane was introduced to the football game. Together with his neighborhood friends,
he played football, at the main square of the housing complex known as, the Place Tartane. In
his early days, his love for football was mainly influenced by Olympique Marseille players;
Jean-Pierre Papin, Enzo Francescoli and Blaz Sliskovic who were his soccer stars idols.

Career Statistics:

 Senior Career:

Years Team Apps (Goals)

1989–1992 Cannes 61 (6)
1992–1996 Bordeaux 139 (28)
1996–2001 Juventus 151 (24)
2001–2006 Real Madrid 155 (37)
Total 506 (95)
 International Career:
 1988–1989 France U17 4 (1)

1989–1990 France U18 6 (0)

1990–1994 France U21 20 (3)

1994–2006 France 108 (31)

The FFF turned a fresh leaf by naming Aimé Jacquet as the new manager despite failing to
qualify for the second consecutive World Cup. France easily qualified for Euro 1996, with
Jacquet at the helm and young Bordeaux star Zinedine Zidane in the squad. They went on to
progress from the group and knock out the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, but ultimately
lost in a penalty shootout to the Czech Republic.

Les Bleus were among the greatest favourites to win the tournament as the hosts of the 1998
World Cup. France squeezed past Paraguay in the round of 16 on a golden goal from Blanc
after coasting through an easy group featuring Denmark, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
They then beat Italy and Croatia in the finals to set up a meeting with Brazil. France won
their first World Cup title with two goals from Zidane and a late finisher from Petit.

France won the 1998 FIFA World Cup

Although Jacquet had quit the team on victory night, France was still in the driver's seat at the
2000 Euro. They had little trouble getting past their squad, with Zidane in his prime and a
terrifying strike line led by David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry. On their way to the final
match against Italy, they went on to beat Spain and Portugal, where they managed to equalise
the stopping time and snatch the Trezeguet golden goal victory.
Fall of a Dynasty:
France was given a brutal reminder at the 2002 World Cup that they weren't invincible. After
failing to score in any of their group matches, they became the second holder of the World
Cup after Brazil in 1966 to be eliminated in the opening round. This was followed by another
lack lustre Euro 2004 result, where they lost 0-1 in the quarter-finals to eventual champions
Greece.

The 2006 World Cup was a redemption moment, and France seemed bent on capitalising on
it. While in the opening round they struggled, in the knockout stages they turned on the
switch by beating Spain, Brazil, and Portugal. Their rival in the final was Italy once again.
However, France was dealt a fatal blow this time around when Zidane was sent off for
headbutting Materazzi in the face. With Italy winning 5-3, the match went to penalties.

Les Bleus were left without a real leader on the field with Zidane formally retiring. This has
led to the following series of disappointing results, including group stage exits at the 2008
Euro and 2010 World Cups. The 2012 Euro has been a boost, but just a modest one. They
advanced from the group, but were unable to put up a great deal of resistance against Spain's
future champions.

Glory Days Hero Takes Control: Return of Didier Deschamps;

Didier Deschamps took over as the team's boss shortly after Euro 2012. Deschamps was
supposed to carry a winning attitude as the former captain of the teams that won the 1998
World Cup and Euro 2000. The 2014 World Cup was his first tournament as boss, and the
early returns were positive. In the round of 16, France advanced from their group and beat
Nigeria, but lost 0-1 in a nail-biter to eventual champions Germany.

For Deschamps and his relatively younger team, Euro 2016 was another victory. France
showed its mental edge as the host team by progressing from a difficult group and
overturning a deficit in the round of 16 against Ireland. They then overthrew Iceland 5-2 and
outlasted Germany 2-0, but an obstacle to clear was too difficult for Portugal. They lost to an
Eder winner in extra time, despite winning much of the match.
Champions of the World, yet again:

Two years later, at the 2018 World Cup, Deschamps's generation had to face another huge
examination. Again, as they had previously cruised through their qualifying group with 23
points and just one loss in 10 games, the expectations were strong. Nevertheless, their party
showings left much to be desired. Their match against Denmark ended in a goalless 0-0 draw
after two uninspiring victories over Australia (2-1) and Peru (1-0).

France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The knockout stages again seemed to feature a totally different team from France. They
outlasted Uruguay and Belgium on their way to the finals after beating Argentina 4-3 in one
of the tournament's best matches. Later, another outstanding performance—a 4-2 victory over
Croatia—and France became the sixth team to win multiple titles in the World Cup. Mbappe
and Griezmann won the Best Young Player and Silver Boot awards, respectively, with four
goals each.

The logo features a stylistic version of the Gallic Rooster (the Coq
Gaulois). The rooster has been depicted more realistic in earlier versions of
the logo. The initials FFF stands for Fédération Française de Football.
Above the six-sided crest, two stars could be seen representing the two
World Cup titles

Club Football in France:

Ligue 1:
In French football, professionalism did not exist until July 1930, when the French Football
Federation's National Council voted 128-20 in favour of its adoption. In French football,
Georges Bayrou, Emmanuel Gambardella, and Gabriel Hanot are the pioneers of
professionalism. In 1932, discipline was formally applied.

Official Logo of the competition

On 11 September 1932, Ligue 1 was inaugurated under the name National before moving to
Division 1 after one year of existence. Until 2002, when it adopted its current name, it
continued to operate under that name.

Ligue 1 is the French professional league for football clubs affiliated with men. It is the
nation's main football rivalry at the top of the French football league system. Ligue 1, which
is governed by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, is contested by 20 clubs and operates a
promotion and relegation system from and to Ligue 2.

The seasons run from May to August. Clubs play two matches in the league against each of
the other clubs, once at home and once away, for a total of 38 matches over the season. The
majority of games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games being played on
weekday nights. Play is periodically suspended for two weeks on the last weekend before
Christmas, before returning in the second week of January. As of 2018, Ligue 1 is one of the
top national leagues, with Spain's La Liga, England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga
and Italy's Serie A ranking fifth in Europe.

With ten league titles in France, AS Saint-Étienne is the most successful team, while
Olympique Lyonnais is the club with the most consecutive titles (seven between 2002 and
2008). Olympique de Marseille holds the record among the elite for most seasons with 69
seasons in Ligue 1, while Paris Saint-Germain holds the league record for longevity with 45
consecutive seasons (from 1974 to present). The current champions are Paris Saint-Germain,
who in the 2019-20 season were awarded their ninth title. Foreign-based club AS Monaco has
won the league on many occasions, making the league a cross-border rivalry.

Since its establishment in the 1932-33 season to the beginning of the 2020-21 season, a total
of 73 clubs have participated in Ligue 1. Currently, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Nice,
Nîmes and Rennes are the only founding members of the league to participate in Ligue 1.
Paris Saint-Germain is the only club that has not experienced a decline in points. For the
1974-75 season, they won promotion to the first division and have not faltered since then.
Following its separation from Paris FC in 1972, Paris Saint-Germain was administratively
relegated from the league, but returned to the top flight two seasons later.

Internationally, Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique de Marseille, AS

Monaco, AS Saint-Etienne, Lille OSC and Girondins de Bordeaux are the most well-known
Ligue 1 clubs.

20 Professional Teams participating in 2020 ligue 1

French Teams in European Competition:

The performance of French clubs in UEFA club competition is not impressive. From the
inception of the restructured Champions League in 1995-96 (formerly the European Cup)
until 2011-12, the share of French clubs in the total number of match wins is 1.5%, compared
to 12.4% for German clubs, 16.1% for Italian clubs, 19.0% for English clubs, and 19.0% for
Spanish clubs. At the time of writing in 2013, no French club had won a UEFA competition
since Paris St Germain won the Cup Winners‟ Cup in 1996.

Between 2000 and 2012 French clubs reached the quarter-finals of UEFA competitions on 13
occasions, as against 24 for ILC clubs, 25 for GBL clubs, 41 for EPL clubs, and 47 for SLF
clubs.

In UEFA rankings based on club performance, France’s ranking dropped from 4th to 5th in
2009 (below Spain, Italy, England and Germany), and to 6th in 2012 (having been overtaken
by Portugal).

With regard to financial results FL1 has experienced a rapid increase in turnover, from €607
million in 2000 to €1,072 million in 2010, a 77% increase over ten years. Even after such
growth, FL1 remains the smallest in economic terms among the five major European leagues:
EPL turnover is more than twice as large, BL and LF about 40% larger, and LC 20% larger.
French clubs are still economically small compared to clubs in other major football leagues.
In a bid to compete successfully in Europe, the owners of France's big city clubs are seeking
to commercialize the game, despite the resistance of central and local authorities. Hare traces
the gradua levolution of traditional French football values and explores the impact of new and
controversial business practices

Ligue 1 is neither much different from other major European football leagues, nor an
exception as regards its management and governance.
No major French club has gone bankrupt, although many have been in the red. This feature,
however, is not French-specific but industry-specific, since the picture is similar in other
major European football leagues. Eventually, French football will have to align with the new
UEFA Financial Fair Play rules.

This will be a step forward, as in many other European countries, on the path to better
governance and management. Nevertheless, the imposition of a hard budget constraint of a
kind that is characteristic of shareholder-controlled profit-maximising firms in many other
sectors, is a distant prospect.

Financial Crisis Amidst the Lockdown:

As a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, the financial crisis facing football has been
laid bare in France, where a decision to withhold payments due as part of a television contract
for Ligue 1 matches is expected to leave clubs reeling.

In a letter to the French league disclosed by the country's leading sports daily L'Equipe, Canal
Plus, the pay TV giant and long-time broadcaster of France's top flight, announced its
intention to keep back a planned 110 million euro ($121 million) payment.

The health crisis, which had already caused matches to be postponed or played behind closed
doors until UEFA suspended all club competitions in Europe a fortnight ago, has hit French
clubs, like their counterparts across the continent, hard.
Clubs will now have to absorb the shock of not getting the money they have budgeted for,
because a large portion of their revenue is income from broadcasters.

L'Equipe has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain, the Qatar-owned giants who dominate the
French game, stand to lose as much as 215 million euros between now and the end of June,
assuming the worst-case scenario in which no more games are played and all projected gate
receipts and Champions League revenues are also lost.

Several French clubs, including Lyon and Marseille, have placed their squads on partial
unemployment to save money, a move that means they only pay 70 percent of salaries with
the state paying the rest, albeit limited to 4,850 euros per employee.

The problems may deepen if beIN Sports, the Qatari group which also holds domestic rights
to broadcast Ligue 1, chooses to hold back its own scheduled payment of 42 million euros.
Football and Racism:

Unfortunately, the problem of racism and immigration has long been rooted in French
culture, and the French national team has not been spared from such matters. Immigrant
French players, dating back to the 1950s, were the target of extreme criticism by both fans
and administrators. "For instance, Raymond Kopa was one of the stars of the 1954 World
Cup French national team, but because of the Polish heritage of his parents, Kopa endured
several racial and xenophobic remarks in which he was often told to go back to the mine .
(Marks 49). His achievement on the pitch, however, was also seen as a glimpse of hope for a
'Fresh France' that would be a sanctuary for tolerance and accept the peculiar circumstance of
France as a multicultural and multiethnic community. It was claimed that Kopa always had to
prove himself worthy of playing with the French squad, which was extremely reluctant to
encourage the notion of racial and cultural integration. Even as a talented and admired
football player, due to his Polish roots, Kopa still had to prove his worth to French society.
The dilemma of Kopa explained the unavoidable relation that politics, culture, and national
identity can have as a metaphor for the growing questions about social integration with the
composition of football teams. This example, dating back to the 1950s, will serve as a key
precursor to the trials in the 1990s through the 21st century of many non-ethnic French
football players.

A way towards the future:

When compared to other sports, there’s no denying that football is the most globalised in the
world. The only thing that is required to play is a ball. You don’t even need a net to play the
game, as people can play using made up nets — such as having big rocks or garbage cans
serve as the goal posts. This is why you see football played in almost every single country.
Football has no boundaries. It is played by people from all socioeconomic backgrounds,
religions, cultures, races, and genders.
There is something universal about the game of football. The great German player Franz
Beckenbauer said it perfectly: “Football is one of the best means of communication. It is
impartial, apolitical and universal. Football unites people around the world everyday. Young
or old, players or fans, rich or poor. The game makes everyone equal, stirs the imagination,
makes people happy and makes people sad.”

Football is a sport that is very easy to understand. The rules are simple. The game doesn’t
have commercial breaks (aside from half time), and there aren’t many nuances to the way the
game is played.

One aspect of the FIFA World Cup that allows people to come together, is its scheduling.
Each team is guaranteed at least three games, with two of those games coming at a unique
time in which no one else is playing.

This gives fans the opportunity to fully invest themselves in the World Cup spirit by having
the opportunity of watching almost every single game. Needless to say, when someone’s
country is playing in a World Cup game, it is very likely that the whole country freezes to
watch the game. With the Olympics, it’s harder to find a sporting event in which a country
stops what it is doing to get together and watch the competition. This is because there are
many matches, from many sports, going on at a time.