Have you been able to watch many of the FIFA World Cup matches?
Even though we’re recording at the moment, I’ve watched nearly all the games. I must have only missed about three or four. I’m mad about football and I have several different teams to support. I’m French with Italian roots, so I couldn’t be happier with the line-up for the Final, although I do feel a bit torn. But whatever happens, I’ll definitely be smiling on Sunday night. I’m also a big fan of Argentina.

Which game have you enjoyed the most?
Argentina–Serbia and Montenegro. Argentina gave a real footballing master class. It was truly magnificent. I’ve been particularly impressed by Riquelme. What a player! I just couldn’t understand why Pekerman took him off against Germany when he was the only player who seemed to be able to hold onto the ball. I think his substitution was a contributing factor in their elimination. Tevez and Messi are extraordinary talents too.
Another player who’s had a fantastic World cup is Pirlo. I’ve rarely seen him play so well before and he been making the whole Italian side tick. Totti’s playing very well again but he’s still not quite as strong as he was. If Totti and Pirlo are both on song against France, they’re likely to do real damage.
Personally, I feel that David Trezeguet’s involvement in this Final would not be a bad thing at all, as Thierry Henry will have his work cut out trying to find any openings in such a rock-solid Italian defence. Far be it for me to try to tell Raymond Domenech what team to pick, as one of the reasons we’ve got where we are is because he’s made all the right choices so far. But against Italy, it could pay to change the system. A forward pairing of Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet would be a good idea in my view. And another thing: it’s time people stopped dismissing Italy as an ultra-defensive team. The days of that ‘everyone behind the ball’ system are long gone. In fact, you see more of that kind of football in the French championship these days.
I find this kind of knee-jerk anti-Italian attitude which some people have quite annoying. It’s really out of order to keep labelling the Italians with tags that are about twenty years out of date, like that old cliché about cheats and thieves with oily slicked-back hair. In any case, there’s no shortage of other teams to point the finger at for dubious behaviour these days. Actually, I reckon these blokes who criticise the Italians are only jealous because their girlfriends fancy the likes of Cannavaro, Nesta, Maldini and Co! When the World Cup’s on, I always get a load of phone calls from mates wanting to poke fun or make stupid bets.
I’ve got quite a few friends who object to Italy on the basis of old prejudices from the 1950s, but not only have we got an absolute colossus in defence in Cannavaro, but we’ve also got great young talents in the forward department like Toni and Iaquinta who have given the national team a whole new lease of life. Just look at the way the team plays. They almost never lose the ball and everything starts from defence. To build from the back like that, a team has to be very comfortable on the ball. Grosso and Zambrotta have both had great tournaments, especially Zambrotta, who has defended as it his life depended on it. He never jumps into tackles and he’s been involved in some sublime moves. He’s so strong, it’s almost frightening.
Even though I’m a bit torn about who I want to win this Final, I would love to see ‘Ziz’ (Zinedine Zidane) and (Lilian) Thuram get another World Cup winners’ medal for their trophy cabinet. That would well and truly teach those who dismissed them as washed up. One of the beauties of football is that it’s played 90% in the mind. A team can be written off as finished, but then summon up the mental resources to go all the way to the World Cup Final. It’s so sweet! The whole country should be inspired by such a display of spirit. We should learn from this fantastic example of solidarity. I believe that in sport, athletes often show what their country could be.

Which was the first FIFA World cup you remember watching?
The 1974 tournament. Even though I was only six, certain moments are still quite clear in my mind. My first idol was Gerd Muller, but it was the 1978 competition that really made an impression on me. It was when I saw Kempes play that I began to feel I was an Argentine at heart!

The finest match you have ever seen?
France–Germany in 1982. I was at a Marseilles council summer camp and had gone to watch the game with some friends in a bar full of German bikers. That game was the greatest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever experienced. One minute, I was on top of the world, the next, I’d hit rock bottom. It was a truly extraordinary game. A close second to that has got to be Italy-France at Euro 2000. What a titanic tussle!

Which Italian club do you support?
Napoli are my team. I’m so pleased that they’ve got back into Serie B. In terms of Serie A, Roma are my favourites. I originally come from a small town between Naples and Rome, so it’s all geographically logical. I could never support Lazio on principle.
In France, my team’s Olympique Marseilles of course.

A final word?
This World Cup has been far better than four years ago. My only disappointment has been England. I just couldn’t understand the coach’s choices, especially up front. How can you leave a player like Jermain Defoe at home? England have a great crop of players, but Eriksson’s decisions and tactics were very limited and disappointing.

Your official website
www.361records.com/

A message to communicate?
We’ve recorded a track for the third Opinion Sur Rue album, the proceeds of which go towards helping to build schools in Senegal and Morocco. They are just three ordinary guys who are doing something constructive and they deserve some recognition: www.opinion-sur-rue.com/

Source: WCoffsite