What if the new generation of ‘Les Bleus’ (who are 50 per cent black players) win the European championship? Will that change the mood about race and migration in France?
When France scored a second goal against Germany in the Euros 2016 semi-final, a television camera zoomed in on the joyous, disbelieving face of an ageing fan in an outsized France scarf. Like a small boy, he turned and gave a delighted shove to his neighbour.
The fan was President François Hollande. The man he shoved was the president of the French football federation, Noel Le Graet.
The video of the incident has gone viral on French social media. Many commentaries suggest that President Hollande’s delight was selfish. The least popular French leader of modern times hoped that a home victory by “Les Bleus” in the Euro 2016 final might help him to win re-election next spring.
Giroud Confident in French Team Ahead of Germany Match
That is unfair. Mr Hollande is a great football fan. In any case, he looks beyond electoral redemption.
All the same, much is riding on the final. After 17 horrendous months of jihadist attacks, advances by the far right, strikes, economic stagnation and floods, a victory over Portugal would bring joyous relief to France.
The former France full back Lilian Thuram said: “Nothing generates popular emotion like football. Nothing in the world feels better than everyone being happy together.”
Mr Thuram should know. He was part of the “white, brown and black” team which won a “home” victory for France in the 1998 World Cup.
The triumph caused an economic boom and raised hopes of a new multi-racial understanding in France. Neither the boom nor the hopes lasted for very long.
Within three years, the xenophobic far right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the second round of a presidential election. Within seven years, France was wracked by riots in the poor multi-racial suburbs of almost all its large towns and cities.
What if the new generation of “Les Bleus” (who are 50 per cent black players) win the European championship? Will that change the mood about race and migration in France? Will a new, alienated generation of black and ethnic minority children from the poor suburbs feel lasting pride in being French?
10 Euro 2016 disappointments
Harry Kane
Over the last two seasons for Spurs Harry Kane has made himself the most effective English striker since Wayne Rooney’s explosive pomp. He won the Golden Boot this season and nearly won the Premier League title too. But when he arrived in France all those games looked to have caught up with him, and he could not produce the same intensity or drive that he showed for Spurs. As England chased wins against Slovakia and Iceland he looked tired and anxious – although he was certainly not the only one – and England were embarrassingly knocked out. GettyDavid Alaba
David Alaba was one of Pep Guardiola’s favourite players at Bayern Munich, because of his tactical intelligence and flexibility, excelling in almost every position on the pitch. Austria tried to build around him in midfield but it did not work, and they had probably the most disappointing tournament of any team in France. Even in Group F, the easiest group, from which Portugal qualified with three points, Austria managed just one draw and two defeats. Alaba just could make the team cohere around himself. GettyArda Turan
It must be difficult to turn down a move to the Nou Camp, but Arda Turan looks like half the player since he left Atletico Madrid for Barcelona last year. Struggling for fitness and rhythm, Turkey’s captain could not inspire his side as they crashed out at the first stage. Turkey were dismal in their opening 1-0 defeat to Croatia in Paris, and Turan was hauled off by Fatih Terim after just 65 minutes for Burak Yilmaz. He could do nothing to stop Spain picking Turkey apart and that was that. GettySergio Ramos
Given the responsibility of captaining Spain in the absence of Iker Casillas, Ramos could not rise to the challenge. He missed a crucial penalty against Croatia when Spain were 1-0 up, before the defence he was marshalling collapsed in the final minutes Had he scored Spain would have won Group D and not had to face Italy in the last-16. In that game he was dominated by Graziano Pelle and gave away the needless free-kick from which Italy took the lead they never looked like giving up. GettyMario Gotze
Two years ago Joachim Loew threw on Mario Goetze in the World Cup final and told him to prove that he was better than Lionel Messi. Goetze scored the winning goal and ensured his footballing immortality. But since then he has lost all confidence, and he was a passenger up front in Germany’s first two games, with none of the movement or finishing demanded in the role. It was only when Mario Gomez, a more conventional striker, replaced him that Germany got their attacking edge back. GettyJack Wilshere
With hindsight, it was always optimistic in the extreme for Roy Hodgson to take Jack Wilshere to the European Championship. Hodgson had initially planned to start Wilshere in every game in France, even after a season of just 141 competitive minutes. He had second thoughts, but in Wilshere’s three appearances in France he never looked like a player who was fit or sharp enough to turn games England’s way. He started against Slovakia and played the second half against Iceland as England floundered around him unable to find their way through. GettyThibaut Courtois
It was not a happy tournament for Courtois, who made his thoughts about manager Marc Wilmots very clear in the aftermath of Belgium’s quarter-final elimination by Wales. Courtois did not perform at his best level himself, and was beaten by goals that he would normally hope to save in Belgium’s two defeats to Wales and Italy. Must hope to rediscover his focus before returning to club duty later this month. GettyAnthony Martial
Before France opened their campaign against Romania back on 10 June, Didier Deschamps was agonising about whether to pick Dimitri Payet or Anthony Martial on the left of his 4-3-3. He went for Payet and from that point on Martial struggled to get a foothold in this team. He came on that evening, and started France’s second match against Albania. But while Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann formed an improving partnership up front, it was Kingsley Coman who became Deschamps’ preferred wing option from the bench. GettyRobert Lewandowski
It cannot be easy being so obviously the best number nine in Europe, with every defence double marking you everywhere you go. Robert Lewandowski paid a price for his own reputation in France, as he was shackled by almost every defence he faced. Lewandowski scored one goal, in the quarter-final against Portugal, but from five games the Poland side might have expected more from him. He did at least score twice from spot, though, in Poland’s two shoot-outs. GettyUnlike her father, who poured scorn on the 1998 team, the new far right leader, Marine Le Pen, is hedging her bets. Having previously denied all interest in football, she sent out a joyful tweet after France’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Germany on Thursday.
For the record, the France squad includes 11 black players, ten white players, one of North African origin and one from the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Only three were born outside France.
The excited crowd which blocked the Champs Elysée after the game was almost as multi-racial as the team. The youths who stayed on into the early hours to throw missiles at the riot police were mostly kids of North African origin from the poor suburbs which ring the city proper.
It was as if they, like Ms Le Pen, were hedging their bets. They wanted to share in the joy of victory.
They also wanted to remind France that little has been done to make them feel French in the last 18 years.