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France praises its team at parade
Champs-Elysees packed with fans screaming for 'Les Blues'
Posted: Monday July 13, 1998 03:53 PM
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Marcel Desailly (middle) proudly displays the World Cup trophy for all of France to see (AP) |
PARIS (AP) -- There was just enough time for some sleep and a quick
cleanup before France's World
Cup victory party kicked off anew Monday. Hundreds of thousands of
flag-waving, screaming fans jammed the Champs-Elysees yet again, this time
to acclaim in person the heroes of France's 3-0 win over Brazil.
"What a day to be French! Champions of the world, at last," said
28-year-old Christian Bourdieu after the French squad passed by on an
open-topped, double-decker bus. Tony Chambard, who climbed a tree to
get a glimpse of the players, said it was about time that France won
recognition for its talented players.
A French fans cheers on his heroes along the parade route (AP) | |
"Nobody said we could win the
World Cup," he said. "Nobody respected us. Where are all those critics
now?" Others hung from lampposts and stood on top of restaurants and
newspaper kiosks as the bus carved its way through the crowds.
"Zizou for president! Zizou for president!" chanted the crowd, using the
nickname of Zinedine Zidane, the midfielder who scored two goals in
Sunday's win. Fans waving French flags, their cheeks painted red,
white and blue, were joined by those raising the Algerian national colors
-- white, green and red -- in honor of Zidane, the son of Algerian
immigrants.
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The Champs-Elysees was packed with more than 600,000 people for the celebration (AP) |
Players and fans joined in the chant of the day, a giddy
reference to the game's score: "It's one, it's two, it's three-zero."
Office workers threw red-white-and-blue confetti from office windows, and
others waved from balconies adorned with French flags. "I've been up
all night," said Elisabeth Wallon, 22. "It was magnificent. I've never seen
a celebration like it." The avenue was so packed that the bus
couldn't complete its route up to the Arc de Triomphe, and had to escape
down a side street.
A French girl displays her true feelings on her face at the parade (AP) | |
The players took turns holding the golden trophy
over their heads. They kissed and hugged each other, waving to the crowd.
Coach Aime Jacquet grinned and raised his arms in triumph. The
victory was particularly sweet for Jacquet, the target of widespread
criticism before the tournament by those who said he'd put together an
unspectacular, unambitious team. "You have to admire him," said
Pauline Correa, who said she has become a soccer fan in the five weeks
since the tournament began. "Jacquet proved everybody wrong." After
a drenching downpour Monday morning, the sun peeked out from behind the
clouds, giving the joyous celebrations a warm glow.
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The French team's bus slowly makes its way towards the Arc de Triomphe (AP) |
There was no
sign of the chaos just hours earlier, when a panicked driver drove her car
into a crowd of revelers, injuring 80 people, 11 of them seriously. None
was critically hurt, however. The woman, a 44-year-old teacher,
turned herself in to police Monday. Police said she had been undergoing
psychiatric treatment for four years, and had panicked in the face of the
aggressive crowd. French TV provided live coverage of Monday's
parade, which along with the post-victory party on the Champs-Elysees was
the biggest celebration in Paris since the Liberation from the Nazis in
1944. "We are undoubtedly the best in the world," said another fan,
Carl Guard, 31. "People will now respect us.
"We'll party all today
and tomorrow," he said, referring to Tuesday's celebration of the
anniversary of the French Revolution, Bastille Day. "And who knows --
maybe all week."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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