Zidane’s concern is that the squad lacks character. “You run into trouble when results don’t go your way,” he said. “When you’re winning, everything’s great and everything’s rosy, but you see who the real men are when things get difficult.” The former Real Madrid playmaker was also keen to stress that “when you’re all in the same boat, you mustn’t think you’re the captain. You can have a different opinion to the coach, but he remains the one and only captain of the ship”.
At the other end of the scale, Karembeu recalls an episode that brought France’s golden generation together while preparing for a must-win qualifier in Romania ahead of EURO 96. “We knew they’d have massive support behind them,” said the New Caledonian-born midfielder. “So the whole squad swore we’d give everything, body and soul, for the team, and that we’d surpass ourselves for the France shirt and the country as a whole. It was that same notion of giving our all that guided our generation.” France went on to triumph 3-1 in Bucharest.
Their present-day counterparts have so far failed to surpass themselves on South African soil, and with one game left in their section they cannot afford to wait any longer. “The players must put more effort into what they’re doing,” explained Wiltord. “They need a defining match in which everything goes perfectly. They have to find a way to set this game alight.”
“France just need to prove their superiority,” added Zidane. “The players have to show that it’s not for nothing that they’re at the biggest clubs in Europe. We’ve spoken about everything except football in the last few days. I’m certain the players will have that on their minds during the match. They know that if they win, we’ll be able to turn the page.”
