Sagna slams Cantona as pressure starts to build on Euro hosts

Clairefontaine: In the Chevreuse valley south-west of Paris, down country roads amid protected woodlands, the France team can feel a long way from the growing clamour of a home tournament, but they know that when it all starts on Friday, the expectation of them will be bigger than ever.

At the famous Clairefontaine academy, where the national team base themselves, there is no mistaking the tension that accompanies the first test of Group A, against Romania at the Stade de France. Not only that but also the increased security that has reached even out to the team’s base, with squadrons of motorcycle police on the roads around the training ground and security men peering into the boot of every car that comes in.

The Manchester City right-back Bacary Sagna is one of the senior members of the squad and, at 33, has clear memories of the last tournament on French soil, the ground-breaking 1998 World Cup triumph in which Les Bleus were captained by Didier Deschamps, the current manager.

When asked to draw comparisons with today’s team, Sagna, 15 when the 1998 tournament took place, chose to recall the pressure on the team from the French public and media.

“I remember a lot of the criticism of the French team,” he said. “I remember that everybody had doubts. That everyone was against the team and against the coach. The team was very strong though and they started the World Cup very well. I think we have to be inspired by what they did and the way they surprised everyone by winning the tournament.”

This time around, there are similarities when it comes to that team, insomuch as there are doubts that this younger side can deliver under the pressure, although, in 1998, results leading into the tournament were not as good as they are now.

Deschamps’s team have won nine and lost just one of their past 10 matches – and that defeat was the Wembley friendly against England in November just days after the Paris terror attacks that also targeted the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The manager has ridden out the controversy that accompanied the French football federation (FFF) decision to omit Karim Benzema from the squad now that he is part of the criminal investigation into the Mathieu Valbuena blackmail plot.

Deschamps has also faced savage criticism from Eric Cantona that the Benzema decision and the omission of Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa were racially motivated – an allegation strenuously denied by the FFF. In the aftermath, the France manager’s holiday home in Brittany was defaced with the word ‘Racist’ and for a while it looked like the issue could follow them all the way to the first game, but the latest friendly wins over Russia and Scotland have refocused the nation’s mood on the tournament.

Deschamps is a pragmatist and knows from experience that winning the Euros will answer all the questions.

Sagna was conciliatory on most issues but he did not spare Cantona when asked about the former Manchester United striker’s comments. “It’s a choice, it’s free speech. It doesn’t matter what race you are – French, North African, Chinese – Deschamps is not a racist,” he said.

“The world is like this. He [Deschamps] is not a racist. I don’t think there are any problems. It is stupid of him [Cantona] to say such things just before the Euros are about to start.” The team are settled and the midfield three of Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi and N’Golo Kante is arguably the most formidable in the tournament.

Olivier Giroud will lead the line with Antoine Griezmann on the right and Dimitri Payet expected to get the nod over Anthony Martial for the left-wing spot.

Sagna said that the team could cope without Benzema. “We have people to replace him and we have to respect the decisions of the coach. Olivier has done a good job of playing there – we have to do a good job of adapting.

“I know there are a lot of people who want to see something from the team. There’s a lot of questions. We have been working hard to be here today and to be ready. I think the team is ready but we won’t know that until Friday. We did well in 2014 and we feel like reliving this thing we lived in 1998. We will see. There are a lot of people expecting a lot from us.”