Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan: qualifications for the next World Cup do not appear too difficult for the French team. As much because of the pedigree of adversaries as the good habits taken by the Blues for almost thirty years. Since 1998, France has indeed systematically been present at the World Cup.
The transition to 32 teams decided for the 1998 World Cup obviously helped. But the Blues are much more comfortable in qualifying than in the past. Before being qualified as host country in 1998, France remained on two failures during the playoffs. And if the incredible failure in the fall of 1993 with the highlight at the last minute against Bulgaria is obviously in all memories, the 1990 World Cup campaign was hardly brighter.
After having minimalist Norway (1-0) at the opening minimalist, the Blues are indeed unable to dominate Cyprus, having to settle for a draw (1-1). A fatal underperformance in Henri Michel, landed and replaced by Michel Platini, freshly retired. But the arrival of the old playmaker does not produce a miracle, the Blues being successively beaten in Yugoslavia (3-2) then in Scotland (2-0).
The Blues have no choice
At the end of April, the reception of Yugoslavia at the Parc des Princes is already the last chance match for the French, in the obligation to win. A mission all the more difficult for the Blues as they must compose without their two best attackers, Jean-Pierre Papin and Eric Cantona, both injured, but also Jean Tigana.
The public is not mistaken and the Parc des Princes is far from filling up with less than 35,000 spectators. The absent will not miss anything or almost. At the end of a particularly tasteless performance, the French team must indeed be satisfied with a draw and virgin (0-0) and therefore said goodbye to the World Cup that Italy must organize in the summer of 1990.
The first of Didier Deschamps
Michel Platini wants to be lucid after the meeting.
“We couldn't do anything better. The players were at the maximum of their possibilities ”, he confides at the end of the meeting. The French technician had made some strong choices by recalling Patrick Battiston to associate him with young Laurent Blanc and Basile Boli. Likewise in the midfield, he had renewed his confidence to the young Franck Sauzée as well as to Christian Perez.
But this France-Yugoslavia also remained in history to be the first appearance as a team of a franc of a certain Didier Deschamps. Called to compensate for the Daniel Bravo package, he starts on the bench and returns for the last quarter of an hour to replace Daniel Xuereb. A chosen choice to say the least on the part of Michel Platini …
