Les Blues - Le Chemin de la Gloire

Didier Deschamps Leaves

France Boss Didier Deschamps has left his position of French National Team Coach

Today, the French Football Association (FFF) has announced that France boss Didier Deschamps has left his role as coach. He released this statement;

Aujourd'hui, j'ai laissé mon rôle en tant que gestionnaire d'équipe française de football. J'ai vraiment apprécié mon temps en charge, en fait, il a été probablement été mon meilleur moment de ma carrière dans le football. La gestion de mon pays est quelque chose de réel Ii prendre fierté et un moment que je n'oublierai jamais. J'ai apprécié de grands moments et quelques victoires fantastiques, et j'espère que j'ai aidé à restaurer la fierté et la passion dans l'équipe après cette campagne misérable dans la Coupe du Monde 2010 en Afrique du Sud.

J'ai quitté parce que je trouvais la pression pour autant. J'étais un joueur qui a été en mesure de faire face à la pression, mais comme je l'ai obtenu plus, j'ai eu du mal à faire face à l'attente du peuple français pour leur équipe nationale. Je pense que toutes les erreurs que je fais, que ce soit tactiquement ou dans une conférence de presse, il est arrivé à moi, et je ne me sens plus juste pas heureux, la gestion et l'encadrement de l'équipe nationale.

Je tiens à remercier les joueurs, le staff et FA français pour m'aider pendant mon temps chargé, et je vous souhaite bonne chance dans l'avenir, et je vais être enracinement pour vous lors de la Coupe du Monde 2014 au Brésil! Allez les bleus!

We booted up Google Translate, and this is what it had to say

Today, I have left my role as French Football Team manager. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in charge, in fact, it has been probably been my best moment in my career in football. Managing my country is something Ii take real pride in, and a moment I will never forget. I have enjoyed some great moments and some fantastic wins, and I hope I have helped restore some pride and passion into the team after that miserable campaign in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.


I have left because I found the pressure to much. I was a player that was able to cope with pressure, but as I have got older, I have found it hard to cope with the expectation of the French people for their national team. I feel that every mistake I make, whether it is tactically or in a press conference, it got to me, and I just don't feel happy anymore, managing and coaching the national team.

I want to thank the players, staff and French FA for helping me during my time in charge, and I wish you luck in the future, and I will be rooting for you during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil! Come on the blues!

The FFF moved quickly to announce Deschamps successor.

Bixente Lizarazu has been appointed France boss

Former Bordeaux, Bayern Munich and Bilbao Left Back Bixente Lizarazu has been appointed Les Blues boss. Capped 97 times for France, he released this statement on being given the role.

Je suis très fier et très heureux de recevoir ce rôle de gestion de l'équipe nationale française. Pour apparaître 97 fois pour votre pays, et de jouer pour des clubs comme le Bayern Munich et Marseille, c'est un honneur. Mais pour gérer votre pays, et qu'il soit le premier rôle d'entraîneur que j'ai jamais eu, il est quelque chose de spécial, et je ne peux pas attendre pour commencer. J'espère que tous les joueurs effectuent pour moi et jouer avec la même passion que j'ai fait quand j'ai tiré sur la chemise. Je veux apporter le succès, cependant, cela prendra du temps, mais je le ferai. Je tiens à remercier Didier Deschamps pour quitter ce rôle dans une telle bonne position pour moi de prendre le relais.

Once again, our Google Translate skills came in handy;

I am very proud and excited to be given this role of managing the French National Team. To appear 97 times for your country, and play for clubs like Bayern Munich and Marseille, it an honour. But to manage your country, and it to be the first coaching role I have ever had, it is something special, and I cannot wait to start. I hope all the players perform for me and play with the same passion as I did when I pulled on the shirt. I want to bring success, however, this will take time, but I will. I want to thanks Didier Deschamps for leaving this role in such a good position for me to take over.

The 1998 World Cup winner will start work immediately.

Bixente Lizarazu announces first France squad

Athletic Bilbao centre back Laporte is givin his first opportunity in the France first team

New France boss has released his first squad for a friendly fixture against European rival's Italy.

19 year-old Aymeric Laporte is the biggest surprise in the squad, but Lizarazu has spotted potential in him, and wants to test him in the big time, even with no caps at previous national levels. He made 15 league appearances for Athletic last season.He held off Arsenal and AC Milan centre back, Koscielny and Rami for a spot in the squad. Koscielny's team mate Olivier Giroud is in the squad, to provide back up for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

Wonderkid Paul Pogba is also in the squad, and is looking to add to his previous 2 caps.

French Legend Franck Ribery is in the squad, and is expected to take over the captaincy from Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

The Squad in full

Goalkeeper


Lloris-Mandanda-Ruffier

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Defenders


Varane-Umtiti-Laporte
Clichy-Evra-Jallet

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Midfielders and Wingers


Matuidi-Schneiderlin-Pogba
Valbuena-Cabaye-Nasri-Payet
Griezmann-Thauvin-Ribery

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Strikers


Giroud-Benzema

Friendly Match - France vs Italy

There were no goals for either side to celebrate tonight

In a tight match, between close rivals, France and Italy, their were no memerable moments, with the match ending 0-0 at the Stade de France.

France had the best chances, with new Captian Franck Ribery missing quite a few.

Plenty of players earned their first caps, Greizmann, Laporte and Umtiti, who all had role to play.

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris only had one save to make, in which he spilled the ball, letting it go out for a corner.

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Match Details

Location: Stade de France, Saint-Denis - Kick Off: 19:00 - Wednesday, 14th August - Attendance: 40,753

Line Ups


Domenico Criscito (Italy)
No goals scored

RESULT:

1

Bixente Lizarazu announces France squad

Lacazette replaces the injured Thauvin

Lizarazu has confirmed a pretty much unchanged 23 man squad for the World Cup Qualifiers against Spain and Belarus.

The only change is Alexandre Lacazette has replaced injured Flavian Thauvin. Real Madrid centre back Raphael Varane will miss the Spain game with a damaged elbow, but should be available for the Belarus game.

Both Adil Rami and Laurent Koscielny are said to be unhappy about not being part of the squad.

Lizarazu is optimistic about the teams chances against Spain.

Je pense que nous pouvons battre l'Espagne. Ce serait très bien. Il nous mettrait en pole position pour se qualifier en tête du groupe et j'espère ne pas leur donner une chance de se qualifier facilement. Je veux que l'équipe. Le jeune talent dans notre équipe est grande. Je veux pas viser une victoire en Coupe du Monde en 2014, mais à l'avenir, qui je l'espère justifie mes décisions sur la raison pour laquelle j'ai pris l'équipe j'ai choisi.

Again, Google Translate came in handy:

I think that we can beat Spain. This would be very good. It would put us in pole position to qualify top of the group and hopefully not give them a chance of qualifying easily. I want to be that team. The young talent in our squad is great. I want to not aim for a World Cup victory in 2014, but in the future, which I hope justifies my decisions on why I picked the squad I picked.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers
Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Stéphane Ruffier

Defenders
Raphaël Varane, Mathieu Debuchy, Samuel Umtiti, Mamadou Sakho, Aymeric Laporte, Gaël Clichy, Patrice Evra, Christophe Jallet

Midfielders
Blaise Matuidi, Morgan Schneiderlin, Paul Pogba, Mathieu Valbuena, Franck Ribéry, Yohan Cabaye, Samir Nasri, Dimitri Payet, Antoine Greizmann, Alexandre Lacazette

Forwards
Olivier Giroud, Karim Benzema