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France at full strength Lemerre defies English clubs over Australian friendly
Updated: Tuesday October 30, 2001 6:24 PM
PARIS (Reuters) -- France coach Roger Lemerre defied English clubs on Tuesday by picking eight players from the Premier League to travel to next month's friendly in Australia. Arsenal led clubs who signed a petition for the match to be called off to avoid a lengthy and tiring trip for their players, and FIFA had initially urged world champions France and Australia to pick only one international from each club side. "I say 'niet' to those who want to take French internationals hostage," Lemerre told reporters. "This petition goes against French interests and I will not let it go. "France will play their eighth friendly match of the year as planned and they have a right to." Lemerre picked Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires from Arsenal, Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly from Chelsea and Manchester United's Fabien Barthez and Mickael Silvestre for the match on November 11 in Melbourne. FIFA, soccer's ruling body, had stepped back from its "one-player-one-club" recommendation at the weekend after France and Australia refused to accept it. On Tuesday FIFA's general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen said clubs would be told they had to release players for the game and French officials had guaranteed "the players' travel to Australia will benefit from the best conditions possible." But in a gesture to some of the most powerful sides in Europe, he said a FIFA committee would decide on Wednesday the number of friendly games this year for which clubs would be expected to release players. "Calling up three or four players from a club for international games is both good for the player and for the club," Lemerre said. "I really don't understand the attitude of the clubs." "When it comes to playing in more and more competitions in order to make money nobody ever complains, but when it's to play for your country it's never that easy. "France is a breeding ground for soccer players and there are people who take full advantage of it." Soccer Australia said Lemerre's decision was a victory for world soccer and for international football over powerful clubs. "This is the best contemporary football team to ever come to this country -- it's a big win for the Australian soccer public," Soccer Australia acting chief executive Ian Holmes said. Case closedThe petition organized by Arsenal and signed by 11 European clubs led FIFA to recommend France and Australia they should pick just one player from each club. Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele and Juventus Turin's Lilian Thuram and David Trezeguet are also in the 20-strong squad. "I didn't hesitate in making up my mind," Lemerre said. "Has anybody ever heard a national coach complaining about club tactics?" "Has anybody ever heard a national coach complaining about a training session or a match scheduled by a club eight months before a crucial event? No, so from my point of view the case is closed." Australia face a two-legged World Cup qualifier against a South American team shortly after the friendly. The winner will qualify for next year's finals in South Korea and Japan. Lemerre recalled Barcelona defender Philippe Christanval who earned his first cap in South Africa last year. He also called up Olympique Lyon's Eric Carriere and Gregory Coupet, who made an appearance in the Confederations Cup in June. But he left out Bixente Lizarazu and Willy Sagnol of Bayern Munich, who play South American champions Boca Juniors in the Intercontinental Cup in Japan on November 27. RosterGoalkeepers: 16-Fabien Barthez (Manchester United), 1-Ulrich Rame (Girondins Bordeaux), 23-Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon). Defenders: 2-Vincent Candela (Roma), 3-Philippe Christanval (Barcelona), 19-Christian Karembeu (Olympiakos), 18-Frank Leboeuf (Olympique Marseille), 8-Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), 5-Mickael Silvestre (Manchester United), 15-Lilian Thuram (Juventus) Midfielders: 6-Eric Carriere (Olympique Lyon), 13-Claude Makelele (Real Madrid), 17-Emmanuel Petit (Chelsea), 7-Robert Pires (Arsenal), 4-Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), 10-Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) Strikers: 21-Christophe Dugarry (Girondins Bordeaux), 12-Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 20-David Trezeguet (Juventus), 11-Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal)
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