Sir Alex Ferguson: France wont be firing any Blancs with Laurent at helm
Laurent Blanc Sir Alex Ferguson was an admirer of him as a player and is just as impressed with Lauren Blanc as manager of a resurgent France.
The former centre-half, who Fergie brought to Old Trafford as a veteran in 2001, has fostered a new team spirit ahead of Euro 2012 as Les Bleus seek to turn the tide after their dismal recent showings in major tournaments starting in their first game against England.
Sir Alex said: Laurent is very intelligent and obviously has qualities as a coach because he has made Les Bleus a winning team again.
But Blanc believes fans might not see the best from the star players due to long domestic seasons and perceived bigger priorities.
Winning a title with your national team is unique, he said. It shapes your life as a footballer but also your life as a man, and the players do not realise that.
The France team was the principal aspect of my career, central to all of my choices. Today, the international aspect does not come into play. We need the national teams to again be as important as the clubs.
That extends to the window allocated for the tournament in the international calendar, with some European domestic competitions not concluding until a fortnight before the June 8 start.
We expect the best spectacle in Poland and Ukraine, but with a preparation period reduced to 15 days, Blanc said. You have to give the main stars time to recuperate. The biggest occasions deserve a suitable calendar.
In European Championship years, all competitions must finish by May 13 at the latest.
That would allow the recuperation, the preparation and the competition itself to be the best possible.
France crashed out bottom of their group at both the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008, mustering j! ust one point and one goal on each occasion.
The tournament in South Africa two years ago got even worse as their final game played out against a backdrop of player mutiny, with the squad having refused to train in protest at the exclusion of Nicolas Anelka.
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It is a far cry from the days when they won the 1998 World Cup on home turf with Blanc in the squad and then triumphed at Euro 2000.
But there have been signs of recovery since Blanc answered the French Football Federations call and immediately stamped his authority by dropping the entire World Cup squad for his first match in charge, a friendly against Norway in Oslo.
While that match was lost 2-1, Blanc has reaped the fruits, with the likes of Valencia defender Adil Rami, Paris St Germain winger Jeremy Menez and Rennes midfielder Yann MVila establishing themselves as key men.
Blanc said: Placing the common goal ahead of everything else was at the heart of my first speech to the team in August 2010.
Blanc himself is able to speak from experience, having missed the 1998 final due to suspension after a red card for striking Croatia defender Slaven Bilic.
The theatrical response of his opponent drew criticism but Blanc said: I was angry with myself, I was afraid the team would be knocked out because of my mistake.
But ultimately the red card was not as terrible as all that. What mattered was th! at the t eam completed their objective becoming world champions in front of our public.
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The former centre-half, who Fergie brought to Old Trafford as a veteran in 2001, has fostered a new team spirit ahead of Euro 2012 as Les Bleus seek to turn the tide after their dismal recent showings in major tournaments starting in their first game against England.
Sir Alex said: Laurent is very intelligent and obviously has qualities as a coach because he has made Les Bleus a winning team again.
But Blanc believes fans might not see the best from the star players due to long domestic seasons and perceived bigger priorities.
Winning a title with your national team is unique, he said. It shapes your life as a footballer but also your life as a man, and the players do not realise that.
The France team was the principal aspect of my career, central to all of my choices. Today, the international aspect does not come into play. We need the national teams to again be as important as the clubs.
That extends to the window allocated for the tournament in the international calendar, with some European domestic competitions not concluding until a fortnight before the June 8 start.
We expect the best spectacle in Poland and Ukraine, but with a preparation period reduced to 15 days, Blanc said. You have to give the main stars time to recuperate. The biggest occasions deserve a suitable calendar.
In European Championship years, all competitions must finish by May 13 at the latest.
That would allow the recuperation, the preparation and the competition itself to be the best possible.
France crashed out bottom of their group at both the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008, mustering j! ust one point and one goal on each occasion.
The tournament in South Africa two years ago got even worse as their final game played out against a backdrop of player mutiny, with the squad having refused to train in protest at the exclusion of Nicolas Anelka.
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It is a far cry from the days when they won the 1998 World Cup on home turf with Blanc in the squad and then triumphed at Euro 2000.
But there have been signs of recovery since Blanc answered the French Football Federations call and immediately stamped his authority by dropping the entire World Cup squad for his first match in charge, a friendly against Norway in Oslo.
While that match was lost 2-1, Blanc has reaped the fruits, with the likes of Valencia defender Adil Rami, Paris St Germain winger Jeremy Menez and Rennes midfielder Yann MVila establishing themselves as key men.
Blanc said: Placing the common goal ahead of everything else was at the heart of my first speech to the team in August 2010.
Blanc himself is able to speak from experience, having missed the 1998 final due to suspension after a red card for striking Croatia defender Slaven Bilic.
The theatrical response of his opponent drew criticism but Blanc said: I was angry with myself, I was afraid the team would be knocked out because of my mistake.
But ultimately the red card was not as terrible as all that. What mattered was th! at the t eam completed their objective becoming world champions in front of our public.
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