Furious French aim both barrels at media spies

DEFENDER Willy Sagnol has insisted France can repeat their World Cup-winning exploits of 1998 and opened up a new front in a simmering war between the 2006 team and the French media.

France were criticised for their Group G opener when they managed only a 0-0 draw with Switzerland in Stuttgart and badly need to win tomorrow’s clash with South Korea in Leipzig to boost their hopes of reaching the last 16.

Coach Raymond Domenech is considering making changes to the team that faced Switzerland with Florent Malouda possibly replacing Franck Ribery.

Sagnol, however, did not feel that the performance warranted the criticism meted out in the French media.

“The system was okay,” said Sagnol of the 4-2-3-1 tactics employed by Domenech in Stuttgart. “All we need is to raise things a level. You saw one true part of the French team on Tuesday — the defence. Now we need to get the other parts up and running.

Sagnol said: “There are three reasons to be positive. We know from the experience of 1998 that if you don’t concede many goals you will go a long way in the tournament.”

“Secondly the spirit within the team is very good and finally, unlike in 2002 or Euro 2004, the physical fitness levels are very high.”

Sagnol then launched a fierce attack on the French media — another echo of 1998 when coach Aime Jacquet had a bitter war of attrition with French sports daily L’Equipe and used his victorious post-final press conference to humiliate the journalists concerned.

Relations between press and team are already tense in Germany after L’Equipe, who had spied on a closed training session, revealed the starting line-up against the Swiss the day before the game.

Sagnol sighed: “What a profession! It’s very easy to earn your living criticising others. I just throw newspapers in the dustbin. I can accept criticism from people who have the necessary experience and know-how. The rest is not even worth listening to.

“But that criticism must be positive and help advance things — it should not be gratuitous.”

When it was pointed out that some former players have been critical, Sagnol said: “That disappoints me that they know what it’s like to be a player and then cross the fence.”

He added: “I don’t think the French people are really interested to know about whether Fabien Barthez sleeps in his underpants or his boxer shorts.

“I think they are only interested in seeing us perform on the pitch.”

One journalist responded by saying: “We would like to see you perform on the pitch too.”

Sagnol replied: “Well okay, I will tell you just one thing. To film a closed training session like that — that really ****** me off. ! Spying through keyholes is the sort of thing I used to do when I was four years old.”