France: Road to Euro 2012
France have managed to rebuild from horrendous memories of a shock exit from the 2010 World Cup and have attained more stability in the run-up to Euro 2012.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: May 22, 2012 07:11 PM IST
France have managed to rebuild from horrendous memories of a shock exit from the 2010 World Cup and have attained more stability in the run-up to Euro 2012.
Coach Laurent Blanc took over the team towards the end of June in the year that saw the team make an early exit from the World Cup, fighting within the team and player suspensions. To go past these problems and regain the repute of being a powerhouse was an uphill task despite a qualifiers' group which had teams like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Belarus, Albania and Luxembourg. On paper, there was not much competition. On the field, however, it was not the most straight-forward path for the Les Bleus.
Belarus stunned France in the first match of Group D. Although the margin of 1-0 was not shocking, what was alarming for French fans was that their team came out second best. Blanc was not seen as the right person for the job and questions began being flung. The change in fortune and fortitude though, was in the waiting.
Four days later, the French team travelled to Sarajevo and registered a 2-0 win against Bosnia. It was not an onslaught but it was what the team needed to get their confidence back up from the pits.
France next had Romania in their path and despite being a bit jittery, managed to grab a 2-0 win, with the first goal being scored only in the 83rd minute.
Karim Benzema and Yoann Gourcuff were in ripe form and Luxembourg found it out the hard way. France sealed a win by two goals at Metz and doubled the misery when the venue changed. Blanc's men were now cruising with six wins but just when they looked invincible, Belarus came back to halt the European giants.
A 1-1 draw saw France conceding for the first time since their opening loss to the same side. It was not however, the start of the fall again as the team, in September 2011, came back to a position of strength. Albania were downed 2-1 and then 3-0 at home with a draw against Romania in the middle. A spot in Euro 2012 had been sealed.
The French team, through their journey towards Poland-Ukraine, have shown that they are a strong team under a determined Blanc. The team however, has also shown that they are unpredictable and can get jittery. Fans cannot take a win for granted as France face-off against England, Sweden and Ukraine in the Euro 2012 main tournament.