Desailly fit

Zidane to be more of a leader for France

PARIS (Reuters) -- France playmaker Zinedine Zidane has promised to assume more of a leader's role as the European champions struggle to get back to their best for their qualifiers against Slovenia and Malta this month.

The 30-year-old, who has captained France only once -- during the first half of a friendly in Tunisia in August, has always made it clear he was not interested in taking over from captain Marcel Desailly.

But with France struggling to do well he realizes he must take added responsibility in a side that has come to rely on him more and more since he earned his first cap in August 1994.

"Since the start of my career, the only thing I wanted to do was play well on the pitch and nothing else," Zidane was quoted as saying by French newspaper Le Parisien on Monday.

"But it's now obvious that the more time goes by the more I'll have to behave like a leader both on and off the pitch."

Before their 2-1 win over Cyprus in the previous round of qualifiers last month, France had not won in the four matches following their World Cup humiliation, when they were the first defending champions to be knocked out in the first round for 36 years.

Zidane, who disappointed in the Cyprus match, appears back to his best following some strong performances for club side Real Madrid.

He scored twice in Real's 3-3 draw with AEK Athens in the Champions League last week and set the ball rolling with a classy goal in his club's 5-2 drubbing of Alaves in the Spanish league on Sunday.

"Didier [Deschamps] and Laurent [Blanc] have told me recently to make the first move on a more regular basis, to get things moving.

"But I have never been a natural born leader, so it's not when I'm 30 that it's going to change. If it must be done, it will, but slowly at my own pace," Zidane said. "Nobody is going to tell me what to do."

France will be hoping to earn all six points in their games at home to Slovenia on Saturday and away to Malta next Wednesday.

"We [the players] will be together for more than a week," Zidane said. "It can only be good. Sincerely, I'm expecting a lot from these next two games. They are what we badly need."

Desailly fit to face Slovenia but striker Kapo out

PARIS (Reuters) -- France captain Marcel Desailly, who is recovering from a right calf injury, should be fit in time to for the 2004 European championship qualifier against Slovenia on Saturday.

"[Coach] Jacques Santini has learnt some good news from Desailly who has played the whole match with his club Chelsea against Liverpool on Saturday," the French daily L'Equipe said on Monday.

Desailly and his team mates are expected at the French training camp of Clairefontaine outside Paris on Tuesday morning.

The European champions, who host Slovenia at the Stade de France on Saturday before visiting Malta next week, will take the field without AJ Auxerre striker Olivier Kapo.

Kapo sustained a calf injury during the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in a Champions League match last week and missed the league match against Monaco on Sunday.

The Auxerre striker is out for the next two internationals.

"He was told to rest for the next two or three weeks," Auxerre coach Guy Rouw was quoted as saying. "He will go to Clairefontaine just to say hello to his friends and he will come back."

Chelsea's Gallas eager to join Desailly for France

PARIS (Reuters) -- Uncapped defender William Gallas is relishing the opportunity to partner France captain Marcel Desailly for both club and country, the Chelsea player said on Monday.

Gallas was named in Jacques Santini's France squad on October 3 for two European championship qualifiers against Slovenia and Malta later this month, as the new manager looks to find a reliable duo for the center of defense.

"We know each other well," he was quoted as saying by the sports daily L'Equipe. "We have our marks on the pitch, our own ways, I have the feeling I have learnt a lot from him.

"I've already had the opportunity to play along Laurent Blanc in Marseille. They [Blanc and Desailly] are two outstanding players. They know where they go and make very few mistakes."

Gallas, 25, who joined the London side from Olympique Marseille last year, said he had been surprised by the call up.

"I do not know if I deserve it," he said. "I think I have succeeded to stand out in a new league and in a good team but I had not set my mind on France,"

The European champions, who were knocked out of the World Cup in the first round after failing to score a goal, host Slovenia at the Stade de France on Saturday before visiting Malta next week.

Santini will be eager to find new talent for the central defense following Frank Leboeuf's retirement from international football and with the knowledge that Desailly, who earns his 100th cap on Saturday against Slovenia, is now 34.

Mexes dreams of emulating Blanc

PARIS (Reuters) -- AJ Auxerre defender Philippe Mexes, who could make his France debut against Slovenia on Saturday or against Malta next week, says he is hopes to emulate former influential sweeper Laurent Blanc.

"I'm with Auxerre until 2005 and I'm not ready to move yet but obviously I'm dreaming about playing abroad and emulating a guy like Laurent Blanc," Mexes was quoted as saying by monthly magazine Onze.

Mexes was named in the France squad for the two forthcoming 2004 European championship qualifiers and coach Jacques Santini has hinted he will make his international debut against Slovenia or Malta.

The 20-year-old was an unused substitute in France's last match in Cyprus.

"I know I'm not going to be given dozens of opportunities. There are a lot of changes into the French squad at the moment. I have to prove myself," added Mexes, who helped the France under-21 team to reach the final of the European championships in Switzerland in June.

Strasbourg could be up for sale, says president

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) -- French first division side Strasbourg could be put up for sale by their main shareholder IMG-McCormack in two to three years, according to the club's president Patrick Proisy.

Asked about a possible sale of the club, who are eighth in France's top flight, Proisy told Monday's edition of the local newspaper Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace: "It's an option, yes. But not before two or three years."

IMG-McCormack, the global sports management agency owned by Mark McCormack, bought 49 percent of the club from the city of Strasbourg for 760,000 euros (US$744,400) in 1997.

According to Proisy the club is now worth between 40 and 45 million euros.

 

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