Laurent Blanc enlists Zinedine Zidane to lift dispirited French

Published on Wednesday 1 September 2010 19:49

New France coach Laurent Blanc has told his players they must rediscover the values that once made them a proud and respected nation as they prepare for a Euro 2012 qualifying campaign beginning against Belarus tomorrow.

Zinedine Zidane attended training yesterday and Blanc could hardly have found a more potent symbol of the qualities he is looking for in the former World Cup winner.

The coach, who took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup fiasco, will eagerly look for signs of a fresh start in his first two competitive matches, against Belarus at Stade de France tomorrow and Bosnia four days later in Sarajevo. Blanc wants clear improvement from France's dismal displays on their way to a group-stage exit from the World Cup and has enough talent in his squad to expect that. But the most important thing, Blanc said, was for the players to understand what it meant to wear France's colours.

"The France team is not as essential to the players as it used to be and that has to change, otherwise there will always be problems," he stated.

"To be able to exchange with players of another generation can only help," he added.

"They can explain that despite having had an extraordinary career at club level, the thing that changed their lives was to play for France. That's a spirit the young players need to recapture."