19.2.2004
Zidane: We are aiming for the European title
Mr. Zidane, you are expected to start in friendly matches with the French national team this February. Are you excited?
Of course, it is a great pleasure for me to be with the French team and meet with my old teammates. I'll finally be able to speak in French, something that I haven't done in a while.
What do you think about your opponents for Portugal 2004, starting with Switzerland?
We met Switzerland not long ago and have played them frequently. We are even in the same qualification group for World Cup 2006.
Are you saying that you plan to stick around for the 2006 World Cup qualifications?
I can't promise that. What I can say is that Switzerland is a quality team even when compared to us. All the participants at Euro 2004 will have their chance.
What about Croatia?
Croatia we met at the 1998 World Cup semi-final. They're a good team. From my point of view, they are very skilled footballers and each one of them is capable of winning 1-on-1 battles at any time. They are another "red flag" for us.
England?
The big match! Everyone is waiting for it. France vs England. Not to mention that we're starting off the tournament with this match. Winning it is up to us. It is very important to start off the tournament with a victory so that we can get things on track and be triumphant. We all know that the first matches of such tournaments are crucial.
Are you nervous that the media is presenting this match as "The Zidane vs Beckham battle?"
No. I am sure that this will come into attention, but for me it will be a battle between the four nations in our group. We have great desire to advance to the next stage.
What will be your goal at Portugal 2004?
My goal is the same as always and the same for the rest of my team. We want to play great and defend our title as European Champions.
Let's talk about France's approach during 2003.
13 victories. We couldn't have dreamt of more. Our approach was perfect. We had no losses and I don't think anyone was expecting it. We are aiming for the European title and I hope well win it deservedly.
France managed to recover from the 2002 disaster. What changes did you notice in the team's morale?
I wouldn't say that our morale is higher, I think that we are more anxious to start over and forget the what happened. We are simply trying to find ourselves and play well. It has been like that for more than a year.
Defeating Greece, was it a test for the current status of your team?
Yes, many were expecting this match so they could tell if France is still a quality side. The qualifications were a good campaign for us. Meeting Germany at their home stadium was, I think, our toughest encounter. Anyway, I think we did well.