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Trezeguet recalled for France Posted: Tuesday October 08, 2002 9:51 AMUpdated: Tuesday October 08, 2002 6:39 PM CLAIREFONTAINE, France (Reuters) -- Striker David Trezeguet has been recalled by French coach Jacques Santini on Tuesday to join the squad for its next two European Championship qualifying matches against Slovenia and Malta.
Santini, though, has already indicated that Trezeguet will not start the first match against Slovenia.
Trezeguet, who has not played for France since the European champion crashed out in the first round of the World Cup in June, will replace AJ Auxerre's Olivier Kapo, out because of a calf injury.
Trezeguet, who resumed playing for his club Juventus last week after a two-month injury lay-off, was not part of the initial squad issued by Santini last week.
"As Kapo was out for good I have reviewed the situation with my staff and we have considered Trezeguet was fit enough to play for France," Santini said Tuesday morning while players were arriving at the French training camp of Clairefontaine outside Paris.
"But as he (Trezeguet) was not part of the first list it sounds logical to me that he should not start the match against Slovenia on Saturday," Santini said.
Trezeguet twice hit the bar against Senegal and Paraguay at the World Cup finals but scored the golden goal in the final of the 2000 European Championships against Italy.
He is not a first choice player any more, according to Santini.
"I have considered for a while picking Nicolas Anelka. But we realized we already had two guys, Thierry Henry and Steve Marlet, who play in this style.
"Actually David is more like Kapo and that's the reason why he will join us on Wednesday," Santini said.
Trezeguet was absent from France's last two outings in Tunisia in August and in Cyprus last month.
He is far from certain to play at all on Saturday even though he scored an injury-time winner in the 3-2 victory over Slovenia at the Stade de France last year. Cheyrou says he has learned from Liverpool benchCLAIREFONTAINE, France (Reuters) -- Midfielder Bruno Cheyrou may have spent much of his time at Liverpool on the substitutes' bench but he insists it has been a worthwhile experience and he has learned a lot. "It was a bit the deal with [coach] Gerard Houllier. I knew that at first I wasn't going to be playing very often, so I wasn't surprised when I was a substitute at the start of the season," Cheyrou said on Tuesday. "But now, in every game, I try to prove to Houllier that I've retained the lessons I've learned on the bench and that I put them into practice, so as not to return there." The midfielder joined English Premier League Liverpool from Lille during the summer break and his career seems to have been boosted by the move. When he played in the French league, Cheyrou, a former youth international, was never offered a chance by the national coach of the time, Roger Lemerre. Cheyrou has scored only one goal since he joined Liverpool but he looks a totally different player. "Houllier reproached me for lacking aggression on the pitch. He told me I had to improve my physical commitment," he said at a French training camp preparing for two European championship qualifiers. "In that part of the game, the English championship is a great school, much better than France. The game itself and the refereeing are not the same." Childhood dream "England is truly the land of football and to play there every weekend is a child's dream come true." Fellow French midfielder Robert Pires said much the same when joined Arsenal under the stewardship of another French manager, Arsene Wenger. The Premier League has changed and improved both players to the point that new France coach Jacques Santini has called up Cheyrou for his squad to face Slovenia and Malta in the next European championship qualifiers. "It's quite easy to feel comfortable in a club like Liverpool," Cheyrou said. "When you're French you don't feel lost. You are taken care of. "Houllier signed [Senegal's] El-Hadji Diouf and myself because he wanted to give the team a more flowing game. They used to play a little too directly. We've brought a bit more variety." "But that doesn't mean it's all sorted out. Liverpool is a team where nothing is ever certain. "Even Michael Owen, who has nothing to prove to anyone, can find himself back on the substitutes' bench. An atmosphere like that gives you great mental strength." Cheyrou earned his first cap for France in a 1-1 draw in Tunisia in August and competition for a midfield place in the team is tough. "I'm not going to say I want to replace Zidane. But neither
have I come here to pick up the balls at the end of the training
session. I haven't come here with a white flag," Cheyrou said.
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