France must take tiny chance to qualify - coach
Updated: 2008-06-17 10:27
ZURICH - France have a tiny chance to qualify for the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 but must make the most of it, coach Raymond Domenech said on Monday.
The 2006 World Cup runners-up must beat world champions Italy in their final Group C game on Tuesday in Zurich and hope Romania do not defeat the Dutch at the same time in Berne.
"It will be an exceptional match which we must play without worrying about the others," Domenech told a news conference.
"We have a tiny chance but that chance will only exist as long as we beat Italy," he added.
Domenech has to cope without midfielder and captain Patrick Vieira, who missed France's first two matches in the finals with a thigh injury and said on Monday he would not be fit.
"Playing Italy is a great occasion in any circumstances but playing them at a European Championship finals with a chance to qualify makes it very special, the kind of game every footballer dreams of playing," Domenech said.
The high-profile rivalry between the two neighbours, who share the same tactical, defensive approach, has often been marred by controversy.
Zinedine Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final but also Domenech's claims that Italy bribed the referee of an under-21 international against France in 1999 suggest Tuesday's showdown could be a tense affair.
"This is a derby," said Domenech. "I've always loved Italy, even if you (journalists) always want me to say the opposite. I love their football, their cuisine, their sun."
France, who started with a dismal 0-0 draw with Romania and followed that by being thrashed 4-1 by Netherlands, realise they need to improve dramatically to reach the last eight.
"We showed bad things against the Dutch but good things as well and those are the things we need to repeat," said Domenech, who declined to drop any hints regarding his starting lineup.
The France coach was then asked by a reporter if Tuesday's match could be his last in charge.
"I do know it was your last question," he replied.
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