Hosts hoping for a hat-trick of major wins
How tHey qualified: As hosts.
CoaCH: Didier Deschamps HE’S the right man to cope with the pressure and expectation of leading the host nation at a major Finals.
He lifted the World Cup on that famous night at the Stade de France in 1998 and he did it again at Euro 2000 as captain of the all-conquering France team.
Now his task is to return Les Bleus to those fantastic heights.
Deschamps (below) led them to the quarter-finals at the World Cup, but they have not have had a competitive game since then.
As with any French coach, his biggest job will be to keep the harmony in the dressing-room for the next five weeks.
star man: Paul Pogba YOU need a big player to carry the hopes of a nation and be the poster boy of a tournament. But in Paul Pogba, France have the ideal fit.
This was the one who got away from Manchester United, having been at Old Trafford from when he was 16.
It should surprise no one that four years at Juventus have resulted in four Serie A titles with Pogba their driving force in midfield.
At 6ft 3in, he is physically imposing, gets up and down, and scores and makes goals.
With those attributes, it’s easy to see why clubs are so keen to pay upwards of £70m to take him off Juve’s hands. analysis: THE hope in France is that 2016 will follow the glorious summers of 1984 and 1998, and will ink another glorious chapter in their football history.
The country was inspired by the exploits of Michel Platini then Zinedine Zidane as the French swept to victory on home soil. And its those famous memories that have many people making France favourites to win Euro 2016 and complete a hat-trick of titles.
So it falls to Didier Deschamps’ new generation to pick up the mantle. As befitting a team that has only played friendlies for two years, it’s hard to ascertain how good they really are as results have been varied. But there is no doubt about the talent in the squad led by Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann.
One of the biggest problems for Deschamps was the scandal involving two of his players – Karim Benzema and Mathieu Valbuena – with Benzema being investigated for blackmail against his international team-mate.
In the end, the coach took the decision to exclude both from his squad. In Benzema’s absence, Olivier Giroud could get the nod up front but he has been booed by the French fans on a number of occasions, who don’t believe he’s good enough for the role.
However, three players who excelled in their first season in England – N’Golo Kante, Dmitri Payet and Anthony Martial – will be expected to bring their great form from the Premier League into the Euros.