Football: World Cup - The global game

The World Cup Around the World

"THE TEAM did its homework late, overwhelmed for two weeks by a stifling atmosphere. No one is more responsible for the catastrophe than Clemente, an abusive coach, embroiled in a destructive process that eventually contaminated the players. He created problems where there weren't any, refused to accept the reality of his mistakes, stuck obstinately into unpleasant and artificial polemics and didn't understand that the World Cup is a very serious thing that engages the feelings of a nation."

"El Pais" on Spain's elimination from the World Cup despite Wednesday's 6-1 victory over Bulgaria.

"JAVIER CLEMENTE'S squad has been a corpse for 10 days and was revived just in time to attend its own burial. For the Spaniards it's the end of an adventure, and it must also be the end of a management style, the end of an epoch. Spain achieved a historic score but, you know, a miserable 1-0 would almost have been better. It would not have left such a foul taste in the mouth." "El Mundo" tells Spain's coach where to go.

"ON SUNDAY in Lens the France team of Djorkaeff, Desailly and Barthez will meet Paraguay in the second round. In Sweden 40 years ago the France team of Kopa, Fontaine and Piantoni put seven goals past the "Albirroja" [the red and whites] in a first-round match which promised much and led eventually to an excellent third place in the tournament. This time France are the clear favourites." "Le Monde" on the host nation.