May 18, 2002, the day the Blues scorned Belgium (and it cost them dearly)

Since the qualification of the Blues in the semifinals of the Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku's World Cup against Belgium, Didier Deschamps is constantly trying to prevent overconfidence among his players. Belgium, often taken from high by the tricolor teams, yet played more than a bad trick to French footballers. As this May 18, 2002.

This France-Belgium is the story of a funny match, returned to the shoehorn in the overloaded schedule of the Blues on the eve of boarding for Japan to defend their world title. The title holder, France is scheduled to open the South Korean and Japanese World Cup, twelve days later. The preparation has been truncated by the extended seasons of each other. Zinedine Zidane, who has just won the Champions League thanks to a magic goal in the final, is excused: his wife has just given birth to little Theo.

It is little to say that Belgium, subscriber to eliminations in the first round of major competitions, is not afraid. His coach, Robert Waseige, had to promise the respondent to critical French journalists about the level of the team: "Lemerre wanted a serious match, I do not want to be disappointed" . In a press conference, Marcel Desailly admits to being "unable to quote the name of a red Devil" and sighs that this friendly match is "not very important" . Even the communication of the Stade de France preferred the Manneken-Pis to Marc Wilmots to symbolize the team of the flat country on the official poster of the match, where on the other hand appear not less than six French players, stylized way Star Wars

The captain of the Blues has his head in Asia and we understand. For months, the whole country is enjoying a mild euphoria when it comes to football: in March of that year, a survey indicated that 74% of respondents thought of nothing more than a success in Korea. And Adidas began its campaign on the theme of the second star, as if the seven games awaiting the Blues at the World Cup were just a formality, with a spot directed by Stéphane Meunier, the man behind Eyes in the Blues where the players recite a poem by Rudyard Kipling

This sweet evening of May 2002, the sound of the Stade de France spits I Will Survive before the start of the match, as if nothing had happened since July 12, 1998. However, the news was loaded with, on May 8, 2002, the attack against a bus of French engineers in Karachi, Pakistan , a few days after the re-election of Jacques Chirac. The minute of silence is particularly observed in a Stade de France all dressed in blue, as eager for a renewed national unity.

Roger Lemerre aligns a mixed team. Half forced by the mistrust of each other (Thierry Henry and Fabien Barthez treat small sores) and half for the sake of giving play time to those who can play the utilities in Korea (the second goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé, Christophe Dugarry …). A team B, for a game of series B. If Belgium plays its chance and opens the scoring in the 20th minute, France equalized only with a goal against his side, following a game of billiards in the area opposing. Result: 1-1 at the break. This does not deter Adidas from deploying a huge tricolor jersey in the stands, with the famous second star. Not enough to seduce Christophe Dugarry, who had declared in front of microphones and cameras "I find it frankly average", or Marcel Desailly – "Anyway, we were not consulted."

The talk of Roger Lemerre at the break is unlikely to change anything to this game badly shipped. "In 2002, we loved Roger (…) but we did not listen to him anymore, or at least a lot … At the end, we did a game in 'what did he want? to say "' will admit fifteen years later Christophe Dugarry in the show" Le Vestiaire "on SFR Sport. Already rough, the tricolor game disintegrates a little more in the second act. Only spark of the second period, the head of the little new Djibril Cisse on the "latte" of the Belgian goal. While the game stops, Thierry Roland prefers to praise the show at the final whistle rather than meeting. And is found surprised, as the Blues, when Marc Wilmots takes in the skylight center from the right, leaving Ulrich Ramé without reaction. Not enough to chill on the enthusiasm of the public and some 11 million viewers present at their post at that time.

When he enters the field, dressed in red, Samuel is hardly aware that France has finally lost 1-2. Winner of a contest like 2,001 other children, the teenager from the Lens region had to prepare and leave his place in the tribune at the hour of play. "We arrived from the four corners of the lawn , we were following signposted markers … it had required us an afternoon of repetition " he tells franceinfo. Children dressed in capes by Coca-Cola form a red heart surrounding the players. "I was inside the heart, I could see Marcel Desailly up close."

Believe me, at that time, no one thought it was out of place or it was just too much. Samuel, one of the children present at the Stade de France on May 18, 2002

"We were simply euphoric. stars in the eyes. " One of the children presents a gift to Marcel Desailly, a French flag made of the photo of the 2,002 young people. Zinedine Zidane appears on the giant screen. And Franck Leboeuf takes the microphone to promise, in front of 80 000 witnesses, to bring back the World Cup.

I will remember the 18/05/2002 I was part of the 2002 children came to encourage the places where I had the chance to cross @BixeLizarazu @marceldesailly at ❤️ etc @FFF I would have liked to tell you Zizou became dad during this match France Belgium ❤️⚽️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/kXhFnrDsto

– SimonMD (@SimonMinvielleD) May 18, 2018

The same Leboeuf continues to deny the obvious in front of the cameras: "I remember that 1998 we had not played well against Finland just before the World Cup, maybe it's a sign. " Asked in the mixed zone on the tricolor counter-performance, Willy Sagnol defeat on the back sponsors, sign that the Blues have opened their doors wide to the merchants of the temple: "We had a week VIP, with c obligations vis-à-vis sponsors " euphemized it. It is not less than fifty companies who wanted to have their part of the world champions while the preparation is reduced to the parcel. The carrot is enticing: a premium of 500 000 euros per head.

Internally, a wound has opened. "This match left a trace" Emmanuel Petit blows in front of the press. The players even organize a crisis meeting after the defeat, a rarity under the Lemerre era. Internally, some no longer harbor any illusions, like the same Emmanuel Petit, quoted in the book The Secret History of the Blues (Flammarion, June 2002) : "Even before leaving, it was already dead.The concept of group was only a memory.We had won the World Cup 98 and Euro 2000 thanks to her, but in France team, it's is the individualism that now prevails. "

Not a word of the defeat the next day in the newspaper of 20 hours … which opens on the departure of the champions of the world towards Japan in an airport of Roissy topped . The report is entitled "The Blues in the heavens" and we hear this family came on purpose to give a gift to his heroes: "We wanted to offer a jeroboam of champagne to the team of France, but the security prevented us to approach while Marcel Desailly wanted to take it. " A bit exceeded by the popular craze, Roger Lemerre lets express his concern in an interview with Parisien : " These praises are as dangerous as the critics, and the unfounded accusations, before the 1998 World Cup ". Well seen. A few days later, the Blues will leave the competition in the first round, without having scored a goal.