French players said they were under pressure and scared for a situation similar to the World Cup 2002 in Japan and South Korea, when they left the World Cup from group stages without scoring or getting a point (they were the World Champions at the moment).

“That failure against Senegal was still on our minds,” he said. “We feel a lot better now.”

After losing to Senegal, France had drawn with Uruguay and lost to Denmark and they were eliminated without a win or a goal from the group stage.

“Our situation now is a lot better than in 2002,” Sagnol said. “We haven’t lost and we know we have a strong defence we can rely on. That’s vital if you want to win the World Cup.”

“We enjoy being together and it’s getting better all the time,” he said. “It would take more than a draw with Switzerland to spoil the atmosphere.”

Four years ago, France stayed at an impersonal luxury hotel in the centre of Seoul while this time, they are living in a magnificent castle in the northern German countryside.

“This is a lot nicer,” Sagnol said. “In 2002 we felt trapped. We could not go anywhere without bumping into a journalist who would ask us questions.

“Here, it’s different. Of course we feel lonely at times. You get tired of eating and drinking football and you want to see your kids but that’s all right. We know what we’re here for.”

Source: WCoffsite