the history of French football

This was France serving notice of their quality. A team who had rather huffed and puffed up to now, scraping through late in contests they had been expected to win at a canter, rediscovered their rhythm in the drizzle of Saint-Denis to cast Icelandfrom the tournament. Their opponents have provided one of the most refreshing and uplifting stories of these finals, the fans’ Viking chant still echoing defiantly around the arena long after the final whistle, but the natural order has been restored. In the end the smallest nation ever to grace a major finals endured their fairytale being trampled underfoot by a true contender.
Didier Deschamps could survey the scene with satisfaction from his dugout, substituting those players who had been flirting with suspension long before the end and even forgiving the odd pang of defensive frailty exposed after the interval. There is an acceptance those errors will have to be eradicated on Thursday. Germany await in Marseille, a tête-à-tête which usually brings the French out in a cold sweat when it comes to major finals. Memories drift to Seville in 1982, Guadalajara in 1986, even the Maracana in 2014, when Les Bleus have been defeated by foes whom they have not defeated in a competitive game for 58 years. “Confident? No,” said Olivier Giroud. “The Germans are world champions and favourites. But we want to write a new chapter in the history of French football.”