2010: A crisis of faith in French football

European football is a curious animal – one marked by passion, skill, devotion from fans, as well as by inevitable chaos, controversy, and scandal. This latter phenomenon was spectacularly on display before and during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Accusations of match fixing dogged Italian and German clubs while the UK team suffered through extramarital sex scandals. Les Bleus, the French national team, garnered the most national and international attention, however, thanks to their off-the-field antics.

To international observers, France’s performance at the 2010 World Cup was a joke. To the French, it was a crisis of faith. Their performance in South Africa delivered a final, and very public, blow to a team weakened by a steady erosion of confidence that’s been growing for over a decade.

The Scandals Begin…

France’s qualification to the World Cup games was already wrought with controversy. Team captain Thierry Henry’s handball in last year’s playoff game against Ireland got them to the World Cup – barely. Once “Thierry’s Hand” scandal simmered down, news of liaisons with an under-age call girl hit the press. Frank Ribery, one of France’s best players, Sidney Gouvou, and Karim Benzema were all accused with sleeping with the under-age prostitute Zahia Dehar. (Side note: in a very American turn of events, Zahia will soon be launching her own reality show.)

The leader of this merry band? Raymond Domenech. The same coach who led the team to an embarrassing failure at the 2008 Euro Games and who judiciously chose the moment after France’s loss to propose to his girlfriend on live television.

And this is all before the World Cup started. Next, striker Nicolas Anelka was expelled from the games for a vulgar outburst against his coach. His teammates then mutinied in protest, refusing to carry out a scheduled training. France lost its next and final match to South Africa (with some wry spectators commenting they might as well have thrown the game to help the Bafana Bafana.)

The Consequences…

Today, France is still smarting. A public reprimand from French Sports Minister Roselynne Bachelot was followed by suspensions against many of the players. These ranged from one game for some to 18 for Nicolas Anelka, effectively ending his career with Les Bleus. Even France’s golden team (the 1998 World Cup winners) isn’t immune from scandal thanks to the publication of a new book (Jean-Pierre Paclet’s L’Implosion) hinting at their possible drug use.

Today, a new coach, Laurent Blanc, and hopefully new attitudes, mark the start of a promising new season. Faced with disappointed and bitter French fans, Les Bleus have their work cut out for them and four long years to shape up.

And seven reasons to love French football…