Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'france'.
Found 137 results
-
Basically, the entire world is under lockdown right now because of coronavirus and people are allowed to leave their homes for only essentials in most of the countries. While we all are probably risking our lives even when we go for a grocery run to our local store, a guy decided to actually go to a different country to buy his most essential supplies for the lockdown. Apparently a guy walked from France to Spain just to buy cigarettes, and I get it, a smoker would consider cigarettes an essential item, but going all the way to a different country for them? Now that seems excessive. © Pexels He not only risked coronavirus but also the safety regulations put in place due to the virus just to buy 'cheap cigarettes'. Too bad he had to be rescued from the Pyrenees and then got a fine of 135 euros, or about â¹11,000. I'm guessing that amount is much higher than whatever he was saving on Spanish cigarettes. Reportedly, he first set out on the journey in his car but since there was a checkpoint, he decided to continue on foot but he fell into a stream and brambles and got lost before contacting rescuers. Yes, it's pretty stupid but a lot of smokers on Twitter actually can understand. Anything for a smoke, right? More addictive than heroin? Also not good for fighting Corona. pic.twitter.com/RORWEikdnC â Aine (@amobeirne) April 5, 2020 Good one. All his plans went up in smoke â Pan (@Pan20745680) April 5, 2020 Hmm. I used to smoke. This seems reasonable. â Brendan I (@truthiness2010) April 5, 2020 I would watch it. A Netflix original series. https://t.co/u4nk5UTZje â Diego Parra (@DiegoJParra) April 5, 2020 Someone translate this please. Ah here. We're all mad for a rake of pints and a box of fags but this is taking the piss https://t.co/VaYL6bD2Xm â Eoin Madigan | Treaty City Translations (@TCLtranslations) April 5, 2020 It's hilarious. Thread By far the best new story of the day https://t.co/B7vo0SoKsm â LOUISE (@Swift__Girl) April 5, 2020 Worth it! A must read on how some people will do anything to get a cheap smoke!! https://t.co/DhFOTdKAF1 â Brigid Laffan (@BrigidLaffan) April 5, 2020 We definitely aren't. Sâweird to think sometimes that humans are supposed to be the most evolved. https://t.co/sPVWG1aZI9 â Mazzy K (@MazzyK) April 5, 2020 While some of you would probably think he is stupid, the smokers understand his plight. View the full article -
Malian singer Rokia Traore arrested in France over child custody dispute
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Rokia Traore was held at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday as she got off a flight from Bamako -
France to close schools, universities over coronavirus: Macron
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Creches, schools and also universities would close from Monday 'until further notice', said -
#MeToo: Former figure-skating coach investigated over alleged rape in France
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Three other skaters also came forward with similar accusations against Beyer and two other skating coaches -
France urges Iran to refrain from retaliations after Soleimani killing
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
PARIS: France´s foreign minister said Monday that Tehran must not retaliate over the killing of top general Qasem Soleimani in a US air strike, amid an escalating war of words between Iranian officials and President Donald Trump. "It is essential that Iran renounce any reprisals or retaliations," Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFM television, adding that "there is still a place for diplomacy, fortunately." "In all the talks I´ve held with other officials, no one wants a war," he added, while deploring "bad choices on all sides" for the "dangerous escalation" of tensions between Tehran and Washington. Le Drian said any counterstrikes against the US would jeopardise the viability of the coalition fighting the Daesh threat in Iraq and Syria, which he said must remain the region´s priority. He also urged Tehran to refrain from further steps to undo the 2015 accord curtailing its nuclear activities, ahead of an emergency meeting by EU foreign ministers on the Iran crisis this week. Paris will decide "in the coming days" whether it will renew sanctions against Iran for walking away from the deal, Le Drian said, after months of trying to uphold the deal despite Trump´s decision to abandon it. -
France voices solidarity with US over Iraq embassy attack
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
French Defence minister Florence Parly. Photo: AFP/Thomas SamsonFrench Defence Minister Florence Parly has condemned the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad by pro-Iranian demonstrators and expressed solidarity with France's coalition partner in a New Year's address to French troops. "France strongly condemns the attacks carried out against the positions of the international coalition in Iraq and today's attempted incursion into the US embassy compound in Baghdad," Parly told the crew of the French frigate Courbet with whom she rang in the New Year. In the speech, the text of which was only made public on Wednesday, she also expressed "full solidarity" with the US. Supporters and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces paramilitary burn the US flag during a demonstration outside the US embassy in Baghdad. Photo: AFP/Ahmad al-RubayeThousands of Iraqi supporters of the largely Iranian-trained Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force marched on the US embassy on Tuesday, furious over the deaths of 25 pro-Iranian militia members in US air strikes. Read more: Iraqi militiamen hurl stones at US Embassy, prepare for extended stay They set a security post on fire, breached one of the compound's outer walls, and threw rocks but were repelled by US troops, who used tear gas to defend the building. On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators remained outside the embassy, despite orders from the Hashed al-Shaabi militia for an end to the sit-in. US President Donald Trump tweeted that Iran would pay a "very BIG PRICE" for any lives lost or damage caused. -
In France, Christmas festivities get affected as transport strike continues
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
PARIS: French train and metro drivers took their crippling transport strike into its 19th straight day Monday in a standoff with the government over pension reform, casting a pall over Christmas plans with many unable to reach loved ones. Talks between the government and unions last week failed to find middle ground, and strikers vowed there would be no holiday truce unless the overhaul plan is scrapped. Trade unions and others involved in the strike will meet with the government on January 7 to discuss the pension reforms, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe´s office said Monday. The talks are set to run through the month of January. Starting on December 5, the strike has hit daily commuters hard -- especially around Paris and other large cities -- and is now impeding tens of thousands of ticket holders who had planned to spend the festive season with family or friends. On Saturday and Sunday, the last weekend before Christmas, the SCNF rail operator provided half the usual number of TGV high-speed trains, a third of regional TER services, a quarter of inter-city trains, and one in five connecting Paris to its outer suburbs. This sent thousands scrambling for alternative transport, with car rental agencies unable to meet the surge in demand. Nor will there be reprieve for those staying in Paris from the stoppage that has slashed train and metro services and caused high levels of frustration on overcrowded carriages. The SNCF has announced that on Tuesday evening, Christmas Eve, it will halt trains between Paris and its suburbs. Some lines will reopen Wednesday morning, others only on Thursday, meaning many people will have to cancel plans to meet up with friends or family for Christmas lunch. - ´Historic error´ - Unions are angry about the government´s plan to merge France´s 42 pension schemes into a single points-based one, which would see some public employees -- notably railway staff -- lose early-retirement and other benefits. The government insists the new system would be fairer and more transparent. Workers are baulking particularly at the inclusion of a so-called "pivot age" of 64 until which people would have to work to earn a full pension -- two years beyond the official retirement age. President Emmanuel Macron issued an appeal on Saturday for a holiday truce, urging strikers to embrace "a spirit of responsibility" and for "collective good sense to triumph". A poll by the IFOP agency published Sunday showed public backing for the action dropping by three percentage points, though 51 percent of respondents still expressed support or sympathy for the strikers. Unions are hoping for a repeat of 1995 when the government backed down on pension reform after three weeks of metro and rail stoppages just before Christmas -- a cherished holiday for many French people. But their action is taking a heavy toll on businesses, especially retailers, hotels and restaurants, during what should be one of the busiest periods of the year. Industry associations have reported turnover declines of 30 to 60 percent from a year earlier. Non-transport workers joined the protest Monday, shuttering at least one oil refinery and a petrol depot in the south, while others blocked a bus depot in the northwest. In Paris, protesters briefly held up Metro Line 1 -- one of only two lines unaffected by the strike as they are driverless, unlike the other 14. In recent days, electricity workers had also interrupted power to thousands of homes. On Monday, the leader of the Force Ouvriere union, Yves Veyrier, insisted the pension reform was a "historic error" and must be "discarded". -
PARIS: France on Monday unveiled new measures to combat violence against women by their partners or ex-partners, seeking to toughen up the law as concerns mount over the number of women killed in the country.Prime Minister Edouard Philippe made the...
-
Barty produces ´best ever´ tennis to level France Fed Cup final
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Ashleigh Barty of Australia kept her cool to embarrass a stunned Caroline Garcia. Photo: AFP Ashleigh Barty played the "best match of her life" to crush Caroline Garcia 6-0, 6-0 and haul Australia back into contention at the Fed Cup final Saturday... -
For more than 3 decades, pieces of a novelty Garfield phone have been steadily washing up on the beaches of northwestern France. Believe it or not, this has been happening for a long time, and locals have apparently picked up hundreds of pieces of the grumpy cartoon cat. However, nobody knew where they came from, until last week. According to BBC, the volunteers cleaning the beaches solved the puzzle, and found that the source of the Garfield phones was a long-lost shipping container. The cleaners ended up finding the container filled with Garfield phones in a secluded sea cave that's accessible only during a low tide. An anti-litter group called Ar Vilantsou declared the phones as a symbol of plastic pollution on the beach. They also launched a campaign with these Garfield phones as the face. The campaign caught the attention of a local farmer and he ended up escorting some journalists and the Ar Vilantsou activists to the spot, where they found out about the container. Sadly, the destroyed container remains buried underneath the rocks. It's hard to access and recover the phones, so these phones with the smug-cat's face will continue to wash up on shore. If you haven't the Garfield phone yet, then here's a quick look - Vous vous souvenez des téléphones #Garfield ? Après le premier article de @CaBelingard pour #AlertePollution, les langues se sont déliées et un agriculteur a permis de retrouver le conteneur échoué https://t.co/ru7MDssTCY (avec le bon @ cette fois-ci ð) pic.twitter.com/q2wtgyXQKX — Thomas Baïetto (@ThomasBaietto) March 26, 2019 The novelty phones appears to have been made by Tyco. As you can see, the Garfield's eyelids slide half-open when the user picks up the handset.
-
Every 80s or 90s kid has seen at least one Star Wars movie if not the entire series, which although consists of a lot of chapters, is worth a session of binge-watching (other than 'Solo', do NOT watch 'Solo'). Other than the fact that the series introduced us to one of the most iconic bad guys in Darth Vader and the wisest philosopher and master period, in Yoda, the elaborate lightsaber duels between the good and the evil was a primary reason for the geeks and nerds to stay up all night in long lines just to buy the movie tickets to the George Lucas classics. The whole concept of energy swords used for melee combats or for deflecting blaster bolts has been timeless and is one of the ideal weapons to have during the time of an apocalypse (personal choice). © AP Anyhow, it appears as if the Frenchmen responsible for sports in the country are bigger Star War geeks than the rest of the world took them to be. A nation of sword-fighting and fencing fans, France has officially recognised lightsaber dueling as a real sport. Believe it or not, the French Fencing Federation took this decision to encourage the younger generation to participate in the game instead of staying glued to their mobile phones and video game consoles. © AP “With young people today, it's a real public health issue,” federation secretary general Serge Aubailly told AP. “They don't do any sport and only exercise with their thumbs. It's becoming difficult to (persuade them to) do a sport that has no connection with getting out of the sofa and playing with one's thumbs.” Here are the two basic rules of lightsaber dueling: Rule 1: Before each blow, the lightsaber's tip must be brought backwards. Rule 2: Fighters have the option of waving the whole lightsaber, from tip to hilt, behind them or to their sides. That's not all. The Jedi-Sith dueling inspired 'sport' can soon make an appearance at the Olympics in the coming years as well. © AP ”We wanted it to be safe, we wanted it to be umpired and, most of all, we wanted it to produce something visual that looks like the movies, because that is what people expect,” tournament organiser Michel Ortiz told AP in Paris. Get your passports ready guys. Time to move to France. May the Force be with you.
-
There is something about motivational speeches that somehow tends to light that very spark inside an individual or a team, eventually pushing them to the limits. The world of sports has been witness to such memorable gems, the hard-hitting and inspiring words of wisdom. In football, John Sitton's famous rant with Leyton Orients in 1995, or Alex Ferguson's remarkable team-talk during their clash against Spurs in 2001 surely stand out. The world of football witnessed something similar in the recently-concluded FIFA World Cup. It wasn't as iconic as the ones listed above, but it was something similar and undoubtedly pivotal. It appears that during the half-time of the World Cup final between France and Croatia, Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps imparted some words of wisdom to his players. Reuters Not that France needed a motivational speech especially when they were leading 2-1 at the first-half, but Deschamps' inspirational words noticeably put fire in the bellies of his players who gave a more spirited performance (barring Hugo Lloris' epic blunder) in the second-half to clinch the world title with a 4-2 win. In a video that recently surfaced on the social media, Deschamps can be seen motivating his team in the dressing room. “Did you see? They're using their elbows, their bodies. The guy (Mario Mandzukic) facing away he's facing away, he's facing away! Facing away from goal he's not gonna hurt us. Don't bother getting in front, we're controlling him,” he said. Didier Deschamps half time team talk during World Cup Final with English subtitles: https://t.co/dIKdKl8o9s — Adrian Moorhead (@adeymoorhead) July 18, 2018 “He can still win the ball with his head just be careful around him,” Deschamps adds. “Not to be static, to already be on the move. Close him down, think about it. Don't make it harder for yourself. They come, they're aggressive. You've all seen the energy they're giving,” he added. “Play as simple as possible. When you have the ball, if someone is on you, there's another one coming. Give it as soon as you can, give it to Kylian (Mbappe),” Deschamps concluded. Apart from their coach, Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane were also seen saying a few words at the end. But, it was clearly Deschamps who stole the show. France this world cup summarised here, stay firm defensively and ping it to Mbappe — Toby Petyt (@tobypetyt) July 18, 2018 pic.twitter.com/Foh8YeL7Wq — It's Ollie (@OllieRicardo) July 18, 2018 LOVE this guy ðð — Pinder Kang (@PinderKang89) July 19, 2018 Love it. Even at the very highest level its kept very simple. Good to see a few vocal players too. — Phil Coker (@PhillipeC) July 18, 2018 'Play it as simple as possible' 'Griezmann, retreat when out of possession' Simple games, continuously complicated by idiots. Nice to hear a world champion manager, as oppose to the utter tripe written about Tyrone earlier in the week. ðð» Deschamps! — Padraic Davis (@PadraicDavis) July 18, 2018 Leaders all over the dressing room..that's why they're world champions — T (@Neilturner83) July 18, 2018 Confident, Calm and Considered speech. Superior team throughout. — John Levey (@Johnnylev23) July 18, 2018
-
This year's football World Cup was undoubtedly the most unpredictable sports event the world has ever seen. This was one tournament where even the fans couldn't figure out who will win the finals, until the last minute of the game. If there is anything that comes close to the twists and turns in the World Cup, it is the season 7 of 'Game of Thrones'. © HBO Talking about 'Game of Thrones', the eighth season is still a year away from its release, but the fans have started missing it already. Or should we say they never forgot the show or its characters in the first place. One such genius fan is Twitter user Abdullah Al-Mamun from Bangladesh. While fans around the world will remember the FIFA World Cup for various reasons, teams and players; nothing can beat this guy's GOT analogy, which makes all the sense in the world now that the World Cup is over. © Reuters Abdullah re-imagined this year's World Cup teams as the characters from 'Game of Thrones' and things only turn interesting with every explanation he gives. So much so that you can't help but believe him and relate with every character and team. © HBO In a series of tweets he explains, “If this World Cup was 'Game of Thrones', which team would be which character?” He begins with Germany and Belgium. He compares Germany to the Lord of Winterfell and head of House Stark, Ned Stark. He wrote, “Nobody thought he would die, but his head got chopped off in the first round.” For him Belgium would be Olenna Tyrell who, “Kills off key players before dying just before the final battle.” If this World cup was Game of Thrones, Which team would be which character: 1. Germany - Ned Stark: Nobody thought he would die, but his head got chopped off in the first round. 2. Belgium - Olenna Tyrell: Kills off key players before dying just before the final battle. — Abdullah Al-Mamun (@MamunKhan41st) 14 July 2018 Relatable much? Wait for the rest of the characters! Brazil would be Joffrey Baratheon – “Makes a lot of tantrum before being poisoned by Olenna Tyrell.” Argentina would be Oberyn Martell – “Was not in the equation at the start. Suddenly got into the play, danced a lot. Then got killed off brutally.” 3. Brazil - Joffrey Baratheon: Makes a lot of tantrum before being poisoned by Olenna Tyrell 4. Argentina - Oberyn Martell: Was not in the equation at the start. Suddenly got into the play, danced a lot. Then got killed off brutally. — Abdullah Al-Mamun (@MamunKhan41st) 14 July 2018 Honestly, I can't stop laughing at this guy's ingenuity and his spot-on GOT analogy. Wonder where Jon Snow gets a mention? Well, he's Croatia—one of the World Cup finalists and definitely one of the strongest contenders in the entire tournament. Calling him the ultimate underdog, he wrote “Croatia - Jon Snow: The ultimate underdog. Fell behind in multiple situations. Everyone thought they were dead only to rise from the Ashes.” England is Hodor and I can't even… 5. Croatia - John Snow: The ultimate underdog. Fell behind in multiple situations. Everyone thought they were dead only to rise from the Ashes. 6. England - Hodor: Repeats the same line over and over again and dies trying to defend a lead. — Abdullah Al-Mamun (@MamunKhan41st) 14 July 2018 Russia: Sansa Stark - “Everyone thought she was screwed from Day 1. But somehow wiggled through to a fairly formidable finish. Somewhat related to Jon Snow and ultimately submitted to his will.” Spain: Petyr Baelish – “Does a lot of passing only to get caught by Sansa who was supposed to be under his control.” 7.Russia:Sansa Strk-Every1 thght she was screwd frm Day 1. But, smhow wiggled through to a fairly frmidable finish. Smwhat relatd to Jn Snow and ultmtly sbmts to his will 8.Spain-Ptr Baelish:Does a lot of passing only to get caught by Sansa who was supposed to be under his cntrl. — Abdullah Al-Mamun (@MamunKhan41st) 14 July 2018 And lastly, talking about this year's champion France, he compared the team to Night King - “Was an ominous presence that no one really talked about at the beginning. Gradually become quite scary. Haven't lost ground in all of the tournament. Breaks down really strong defenses. Just converts people from different places to create the team.” We guess now France's victory completely makes sense. 9. France - Night King: Was an ominous presence that no one really talked about at the beginning. Gradually become quite scary. Haven't lost ground in all of the tournament. Breaks down really strong defenses. Just converts people from different places to create the team. — Abdullah Al-Mamun (@MamunKhan41st) 14 July 2018 Wow! This man deserves a World Cup solely for coming up with such a brilliant analogy.
-
Paul Pogba produced a master class from the centre of the pitch, as France were crowned world champions after beating Croatia 4-2 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow last night. Antoine Griezmann was named the Man of the Match, but it was Pogba's display that was the highlight of France's power-packed recovery in the second half, after the Croats dominated the game in the first 45 minutes despite being 2-1 down against the 1998 champions. Throughout the tournament, Didier Deschamps opted to play a midfield three with Blaise Matuidi and N'Golo Kanté slotting in just behind Pogba. This allowed the Manchester United star to have more influence on games over the course of the World Cup campaign, and more so in the final last night. © Reuters Since his move to the Premier League giant two years ago, Pogba has often been criticised for his lack of commitment in defensive situations. But his dominating display against, arguably the best midfield trio at this World Cup in Golden Ball winner Luka ModriÄ, Ivan RakitiÄ and Inter Milan's Marcelo BrozoviÄ, was a mere reminder of what the Frenchman is capable of. And, his efforts were deeply rewarded with an expertly crafted goal on a counter-attack orchestrated by Pogba himself. He started the move with a sublime pass to teenager Kylian Mbappé, who put the ball across to Griezmann. He couldn't find enough room to pick a shot and instead, laid it back for Pogba, who had his first shot blocked. The resulting deflection saw Pogba receive the ball once again, and this time, he picked his spot with a precise left-footed drive past Danijel SubašiÄ which put the Les Blues in the driving seat for the rest of the encounter. © Reuters It was a historic moment for him as he became the first Manchester United player to score in the tournament's finale. The midfielder also became only the third Red Devils star to win a World Cup, joining greats Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles who were part of the famous English triumph of 1966. After the game, Pogba stood right in front of the cameras, shook his head and held his hand to his ear as to send a clear message to his critics: "Where are you now?”. He was delighted to prove them wrong and achieve a remarkable feat for his country. "It's just unbelievable, magnificent, wonderful, a dream come true," Pogba said. © Reuters "People criticise and talk bad about us at the start of the World Cup but today we won, and now I want to hear them, because they're going to celebrate with us, and its fine, we invite them to celebrate with us. We like when people do not believe us and we showed them they have to believe in us,” he added. The day after the iconic Bastille Day, France have finally added the second star to their crest, courtesy of a Paul Pogba show which could have an everlasting impact on this generation of Les Blues stars, and on the erroneous assumptions of those who questioned the 25-year-old midfielder's capabilities.
-
So, France won their second ever World Cup after defeating Croatia in Moscow, in what has been widely considered as one of the best Final games in history. While the French might have come through thick and thin during this tournament and courtesy to their brilliant crop of players, one man who has been majorly responsible for their rise to World dominance has been their manager, Didier Deschamps. Deschamps has been their manager since Laurent Blanc left his position as French manager after the 2014 World Cup, but since that time, Deschamps has taken this team to consecutive Final appearances in major tournaments, in the Euros in 2016 and now at the World Cup in Russia, where they finally won. Breaking The Jinx © Reuters Deschamps has been in football management for more than a 15 years now, since retiring as a player. Deschamps has been the 'Man Of Many Finals' during his career, both as a player and as a manager. During his time as a player, he and his teams had reached the Champions League final six times, winning it twice. Also, captaining France to their maiden World Cup title back in 1998, and then winning the European Championships in 2000. His first season as a manager also saw him take his Team Monaco to the Champions League Final, which they lost back in 2003/04. After a substantial gap of more than 13-years, Deschamps, now manager of France, took his place in another final at the European Championships only to lose out to Portugal. The World Cup Final win means that Deschamps has finally broken his 'finals' jinx, which has been running the rule over him for more than 20 years now, and he certainly would like to continue winning more titles for his beloved nation. Joins The Elite Club © Reuters As France lifted their second World Cup title, Deschamps entered an elite club of footballers. Deschamps now joins an exclusive club, which so far has only featured two legends of the game. He now joins, Mario Zagallo, who won two World Cups as a player with Brazil, one as their manager and another as their assistant manager; and Franz Beckenbauer, who wrote German football history by becoming only the second person to win the titles both as player and manager. Didier Deschamps thus becomes the only third person to do so. Had he won the European Championships back in 2016, he would have become the only manager to have a unique double of the Euros and World Cup, both as a player and manager.
-
France´s forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup. Photo: AFP MOSCOW: Kylian Mbappe and another supremely talented generation of French players may just be getting started after overcoming Croatia...
-
France set for heroes? welcome after thrilling World Cup win
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
France lift the trophy as they celebrate World Cup win. Photo: AFPVictorious France were set to return to a heroes´ welcome on Monday after winning the World Cup for the second time with a roller-coaster 4-2 victory over Croatia which set off... -
MOSCOW:France overwhelmed Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final at Moscow?s Luzhniki stadium on Sunday to lift the trophy for the second time in 20 years.The French, playing their third World Cup final, were made to sweat initially and were lucky to...
-
MOSCOW: France were 2-1 ahead against Croatia at halftime in the World Cup final after a pulsating opening 45 minutes at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday.France took the lead when Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic, who scored the extra-time winner over...
-
France's Hugo Lloris gestures during the warm up before the match. Photo: REUTERSMOSCOW: France and Croatia both avoided any surprises as they named unchanged line-ups for the World Cup final on Sunday, setting up a heavyweight midfield clash...
-
Kylian Mbappe has emerged as a future superstar during this World Cup. Photo: AFPMOSCOW: Croatia face France in Moscow on Sunday attempting to win their first World Cup while Didier Deschamps´ side are aiming to land their second title two decades...
-
As the 2018 FIFA World Cup winds down to its final two teams, football fans will look at the line-up for the final in Moscow and have mixed feelings about the two nations. France, for many fans and pundits, were one of the strongest teams of the tournament and were expected to do well. On the other hand, not even the die-hard Croatian fans would've dreamt of seeing their team reach their first-ever World Cup final. France arrived into this World Cup with what many claimed to be their 'golden generation' of dynamic footballers. A squad spoilt for talent with players like Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, and Hugo Lloris - was coming into the tournament with very high expectations from their countrymen. The Les Bleus last won a World Cup on their home soil in 1998, and this time they had to beat the likes of Argentina, Uruguay, and Belgium on their way to final. © Reuters On the other side of the draw, Croatia got off to a perfect start in their group stage which included a clinical demolition of Argentina. As the knockout stage approached, the draw opened kindly for them as they battled hard past Denmark and Russia on penalties, followed by a stunning comeback against England in the semis. This generation of Croatian superstars like Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, and Mario Mandzukic had finally surpassed the achievements of what Croatia had fondly known as the 'golden generation of 1998' which took Croatia to their first ever World Cup semifinal. Ironically enough, that Croatian team of 1998 which had stars like Slaven Bilic, Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban, and Robert Jarni eventually fell to France. A sense of deja-vu is ripe for French people, and a feeling of unfinished business is evident amongst the Croatian faithful. © Reuters With a repeat of the 1998 World Cup semi-final on the cards, it will most certainly be difficult to call out a clear winner in this one. Croatia will definitely come into this game as the underdogs, as they have already stepped into unchartered territory with a dream of their maiden World Cup title. Meanwhile for France, experts have proclaimed that their pool of talent has never been greater, and this indeed will be their best opportunity to win a second World Cup title. Only time will tell whether France can erase their scars of Euro 2016 and 2006 World Cup in Germany, or will Croatia take the final leap towards becoming an immortal footballing powerhouse.
-
Croatia stand between Mbappe's France and World Cup glory
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
rance?s Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring their first goal with Kylian Mbappe and teammates. Photo: Reuters MOSCOW: A month on and 63 games later, the 2018 World Cup reaches its climax on Sunday as a young France side spearheaded by Kylian... -
France´s forward Antoine Griezmann holds a press conference in Istra on July 13, 2018, two days before the Russia 2018 World Cup final between France and Croatia. Photo:AFP ISTRA, RUSSIA: France forward Antoine Griezmann said winning the World...
-
France focus on World Cup glory, spurred on by 2016 Euro pain
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
France defender Samuel Umtiti celebrates scoring against Belgium in their World Cup semi-final. Photo: AFPMOSCOW: France fine-tuned their preparations for the World Cup final against Croatia on Friday, desperate to overcome the bitter...