French players are just now beginning to understand their achievement in securing the Euro 2000 crown, on top of the World Cup, and it seems unlikely that they will rest on their laurels. Indeed France will have to carry out some rebuilding work before they face England in a friendly in September as accomplished centre-back Laurent Blanc is retiring from international football. Captain Didier Deschamps is also weighing up whether to follow him, although he was involved in an animated discussion amid last night's on-pitch celebrations with coach Lemerre, who said afterwards that he hoped the midfielder would “stay on for a long time”.
However, Arsenals Patrick Vieira believes it is the strength of the French squad - with younger players such as himself, Thierry Henry, 22, and Nicolas Anelka, 21, as well as Trezeguet, 22, and Wiltord, 26 - that offers room for even more improvement.
“It's difficult to say whether this team is better than the World Cup one but we have more options up front and we've won a trophy again,” he declared.
“This has been a fantastic generation of French players. Those players are still here and we've got some new ones coming through. Vieira added that the French team had proved their “credibility” by adding the Euro 2000 trophy to the World Cup triumph to answer the critics who had claimed they were not the best side at France 98 and had enjoyed a relatively easy run to the final.
Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly added: “For me it was finished. With only five minutes to go against the Italians, it was impossible to come back.”
“But you can see that the group is so strong,” he added. “We always try to find something inside ourselves to stay at the top, it was the same against Portugal, and we always have the small luck of champions.”
“I hope it will continue because the group still has some great quality. The older ones are still there and have shown they can continue if they want to and there are some great young players coming in. The coach has so many possibilities with the players. It's difficult for him to choose the team and that's something more than the other teams have in their choices.”
While Robert Pires, who set up the winner, is weighing up a move to either Arsenal or Real Madrid - with the Spanish side thought to be the favourites - and Italy's Paolo Maldini has confirmed that he will carry on playing for Italy, Frank Leboeuf is also looking to the future.
“We never give up - you think we are dead and then we come back and win,” he said. “Italy played very well and almost beat us but I think we have God with us. God is not French but he's a good guy.”
Laurent Blanc has said that he will give up but the only question is who will succeed Blanc in having the job of giving keeper Fabien Barthez a good luck kiss on the top of his bald head before kick-off.
Leboeuf, who is similarly shaven-headed himself, joked: “It certainly won't be me. Who's going to kiss my head - that's my problem!”
