France triumph on emotional day
Monday, June 30, 2003
Article summary
France coach Jacques Santini praised his team after winning the FIFA Confederations Cup against Cameroon.
Article body
France coach Jacques Santini praised his players and staff after an emotional 1-0 victory over Cameroon in the FIFA Confederations Cup final on Sunday was overshadowed by the death of Marc-Vivien Foé.
Minute’s silence
"This victory is a reward for the players and staff for three weeks of dedication but it has a sour taste when you know the circumstances in which it was won," he said. Players put their arms around each other's shoulders inside the semi-circle, a player from France standing next to one from Cameroon in turn, for a minute's silence before their final as a mark of respect for Foé.
'Deeply hurt'
Santini coached Foé at Olympique Lyonnais before taking charge of France and was deeply moved by the death of the midfield player on Thursday after he collapsed during Cameroon's semi-final victory against Colombia. Santini said: "In moments like this, a handshake or a look speak louder than words. We know that a family has been deeply hurt and that someone dear to us has gone."
Henry winner
France captain Marcel Desailly called for his Cameroon counterpart Rigobert Song to stand next to him on the rostrum to share the victory, earned with a 97th-minute golden goal scored by Thierry Henry. "With all the dedication and the human aspect of what we've been through these last few days, it was not obvious to go all the way through this final," Santini said. "But in an international game, you need a winner and a loser."
Hopes raised
Despite the tragic circumstances, Santini was pleased France had lived up to the challenge without key players like Zinedine Zidane or Patrick Vieira for the tournament. He said the win had raised the country's hopes ahead of UEFA EURO 2004™ in Portugal where France will defend their European title.
'Learn to win'
"We had to learn how to win without some key players and it will give young players more confidence, while older ones will start trusting the young ones for the crucial [qualifying] games to come in the autumn, but above all in Portugal," Santini concluded.
