The Blue Drama

Unless you live on another planet, you know that there is a World Cup going on. And unless you live under a rock despite living on this planet, you've probably heard about the absolute soap-operaesque drama that has been going on with France's national footbal team during this cup.

As an avid footbal fan I was prepared to enter this tournament to support my beloved Tricolor, but I shamefully have to admit that lately my interest has been focused elsewhere than on football, it's been on following up with all the drama!

I guess some people might have predicted that this wouldn't be the best of the World Cups for l'Equipe de France, I mean after all, they did sort of qualify to the Tournament by cheating.

Then again, I'm pretty sure NO ONE was prepared for this!!!

It was the loss of France against Mexico that triggered it all, although most agree that the situation had been boiling up for quite some time. That match was just the tipping point. When the game was over almost all the critics agreed that that the team played really bad, not collectively and basically as a group of little millionaire starlets wanting to shine individually and not as a team. They also agreed that it was mostly Domenech's (the much hated coach) fault and that after the World Cup, good riddance!

But that wasn't all that happened during the match. The next day we learn on the 1st page of a national spots newspaper that Nicolas Anelka (star striker for the team) gravely insulted Domenech during half time.

Following an entire day of water-cooler discussions on what should be done, we learn that the FFF (French Federation of Footbal) and Domenech have decided to kick Anelka off the team and send him home. No word from Anelka himself.

That evening, there is a press conference and Patrice Evra, captain of the team, informs us that they are concentrating on finding the locker-room "traitor" who leaked the confrontation between Anelka and Domenech to the press. No word on eventual training and preparations for their last game against South Africa.

The next morning, Frank Ribery (the supposed New Zinedine Zidane) comes out on national TV to ask forgiveness and pardon to the French people for how they have been acting and playing and promises the world that the entire team will work harder and try to make France proud on their last game. He also talks about the importance of finding the "traitor". No word yet on eventual training and preparations for their last game against South Africa.

That same afternoon, we witness (live on national TV) Captain Evra, Coach Domenech and a member of the staff almost get into a fist fight on the field right before the team is supposed to start training. 5 minutes later all the players turn around and get back into their bus and shut their curtains. We are still scratching our head trying to figure out what tha heck is going on when we see the staff guy storm off to the side of the field and throw his chronometer to the bushes. Almost simultaneously on the other side of the field we see the VP of the FFF storm off on his end (there's a lot of storming off going on right then) and when tackled by the press he's barely able to choke out a few words saying he's never in all his life witness such behavior (the team is refusing to train!) and in tears announces that the he is quitting the Football Federation and going back to Paris, then he gets into a to waiting car and drives off!

By now we're salivating... waiting pays off: a few minutes later a totally demoralized Domenech walks up to the press and reads a letter on behalf of the team (and only the team he solemnly informs us) stating that in protest to Nicolas Anelka's unfair dismissal, the players are on strike and are not training that day. Then he turns around and leaves. Good news is, finally there is cohesion among the team, though maybe on the wrong issue....

You can guess the rest.

Two days of total chaos follow, where every little detail, every little comment is decorticated, analyzed and criticized. Everyone gives their opinion, but all agree that France is making an embarrassment of herself. The players are crucified by the press and public opinion. The coach is crucified by the press and public opinion. The Federation is crucified by the press and public opinion. We hang on every press conference (not many), every rumor (quite a lot), every word...

And then finally, finally! someone remembers that it's all about football! The team trains normally. The Coach gives a (sort of) coherent press conference on the game for the next day. The press talks about the opponent team. The word "traitor" isn't mentioned once.

But it's too late.

This afternoon, France lost against South Africa 2-1 in what has to be one of the most excruciating games ever! In a way I guess we all secretly hoped that the French team would somehow pull it together and perform a last minute miracle, play well, rise above the occasion, get an honorable score, be able to leave the field with their head, I wouldn't go as far as saying held high, but at least not hanging so low. I have to admit they did seem to give it all during that game, and granted they were playing 10 against 11 for most of the match (due to an unfair red card) but the fact of the matter is that the World Champions of 98 and Semi finalists of 2006, left the World Cup of 2010 in the bottom of their group, not having won a single game and only managing to score one goal against what two months ago were considered three non-threatening teams.

In a way, it's quite sad that this all happened (and still is, as this is very far from over being as now all the players are vowing they'll be speaking to the press soon on what really happened during those days) but at the same time I guess it was inevitable.

Football is all about team work, respect, pride in wearing your team's shirt, hard work and training and above all: humbleness.

Instead of that the Bleus demonstrated the exact opposite. They neglected to work as a team on the field yet ganged up as one off the field and for the wrong reason; they disrespected their Coach (independently of how they feel about him) and their fans; they showed no pride for the team's shirt and instead kidnapped it while going on strike (!!!!), hard work and training were clearly not as much a priority as "finding the locker room traitor" was; and what can be said of humbleness?

If this were the Tricolor, I'd be appalled and embarrassed as a fan but I would probably continue to support my team, through thick and thin. I'm sure this is the case with France's fans as well, and I'm sincerely hoping I'm right. When you love a team and a game so much you don't care how awful they are, on and off the field. You continue to root for them.

I'm just hoping THEY realize this before it's too late!

Fned.