Who is that man?

The French will be starting off their World Cup campaign tomorrow when they go one on one with the pioneers of the tournament, Uruguay. Runners Up last year and winners in ’98, the French go into the tournament with not a lot to boast about. To be labeled as the most high profile underdogs in a group which is mediocre to say the least, speaks volumes about the turmoil that the French National Team is going through. When you warm up with a 1-0 defeat to China, and a 1-1 draw to Tunisia you are bound to be a little skeptical about your chances. And if this isn’t enough to bring down your spirits, then the memories of Euro 2008 might just do the trick.

Doom-n-itch!

The structure and form of the squad is far from being reassuring. Theiry Henry, their top scorer in the finals(with 51 goals) and the sole survivor of the 1998 world cup winning squad is going through a lean patch form-wise and might be left warming the bench for most of the tournament. The absence of seasoned veterans like Zidane, Thuram, Trezeguet, Viera and Makelele will only add to their woes. Things don’t look that great on the defensive front either. William Gallas is being kept busy by his sustaining Calf Injury and his bitter rivalry with Patrice Evra, who has been named Captain for the tournament.

The French management is also doing its bit to ensure a first round exit by announcing Laurent Blanc as Domenech’s successor just days before the Cup. Nothing can boost the morale of a manager prior to a tournament more than when he is told that irrespective of the result, he will be sacked.

The last light!

However, if they somehow do manage to sort these internal issues out, they will be up against an even greater challenge. They are to face a team which they have never beaten in the finals, and which is hell- bent to prove its worth. With the 4^th place finish in the 1970 Cup being their best result in the past 60 years, Uruguay would definitely want to kick-off on the right foot.

Although far and few, there are certain positives too. Eric Abidal, Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda have been performing well for their respective clubs. The presence of some very promising youngsters and the return to form of Nicolas Anelka might also swing things in their favor.

Another one of those trademark turnarounds by the French or Euro2008 all over again…..only time will tell. Personally, I hope Raymond Domenech ends his 6 year reign on a high note.

P.S. – The author firmly believes that there is an Irish “HAND” behind France’s never ending woes.

And now that he is back at the helm of the team he once led to world cup glory, get ready for another round of hysterical antics and theatrics.

So, what does it actually take to be the Coach of the Argentine football coach of a national team is expected to be courageous, tactical and liberal. He should be free-spirited and should have the ability to reproduce results game after game. He should be good in addressing people and handling the media. And most importantly, he should have a never say die attitude and the ability to hit back and rise to the occasion. Now, let us see as to why Diego Maradona is the man for the job.

Courage-It requires guts to drop players like Cambiasso and Zanetti from the squad, and even more guts to even consider restricting Milito (whose form over the past one year has been mind boggling to say the least) to the bench.

Free-Spirited and Liberal- Maradona is undoubtedly the most eccentric character to have ever walked the green turf. His promise for a streak through the streets of Buenos Aires on winning the Cup is a testimony to this. As for being liberal, to come up with an official approval for the players to have sex during the cup is as liberal as it gets considering the fact that the Brazilian squad has been thrown into isolation by Coach Dunga.

Reproducing Results- First for Cocaine in 1991 and then for Ephedrine in 1994, both resulting in him being sent packing. Needless to say, this guy surely knows how to reproduce the same results.

Addressing people and Handling Media- It took the “Special One” 7 years, two Portuguese liga titles, two Premiership titles, two Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions League before he was assured of a place on the cover pages of top magazines and newspapers. Compare this with Coach Maradona’s rise to tabloid stardom. Even after a string of loses and a close call in the qualifiers, Maradona is yet to see the inside cover. His highly verbal post-match press conference after the game with Uruguay could have easily been the last nail to the coffin, but on the contrary it just escalated him to even greater heights of Press popularity. Media management just couldn’t get any better.

Ability to bounce back- Cocaine Addiction, Bankruptcy, Obesity… you name it, this man has seen it all. To fight against all odds and be selected as the Head Coach of the Argentine National Team is truly a display of Diego’s fighting spirit and the fact that this man just doesn’t know when to give up.

Clearly, Argentina couldn’t have asked for a better replacement for former coach Basile. That being said, we can only hope for Diego’s men to deliver the goods when it matters the most, even if it results in a freak streak. However, only time will tell as to how the world will remember Coach Maradona-an overhyped and underperforming loudmouth, or the man who led Argentina to two world cup glories.