Vieira restored as French captain following Zidane’s retirement

FRANCE coach Raymond Domenech has restored Patrick Vieira to the captaincy following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane.

Vieira skippered Les Bleus for eight matches during the previous retirement from international football of Zidane who was lured back in the autumn of 2005.

Following Zidane’s retirement from all football after leading France to runners-up spot in the 2006 World Cup, Vieira has now been reinstated as skipper.

“It’s logical,” Domenech said as he confirmed that the former Arsenal player would once again don the armband.

Senegal-born Vieira, 30, recently moved to Inter Milan from Juventus following the Turin club’s relegation for match-fixing.

Coincidentally, he shares a birthday with 34-year-old Zidane and, like the three-times FIFA World Player of the Year, was one of six survivors in the 2006 World Cup squad that won the 1998 tournament on home soil.

Vieira returns to the captaincy with France facing a Euro 2008 “group of death” with world champions Italy and World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine among their opponents.

Georgia, Lithuania, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands are the other Group B teams.

France’s first match since the World Cup final defeat will be with Bosnia-Herzegovina on August 16 in Sarajevo in a friendly match.

Another point of interest will be whether Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet is confirmed as the new number one in place of Fabien Barthez, but Domenech would not be drawn on the matter.

“The list will come on Wednesday,” he said. “Be a little patient.”

Claude Makelele has once again retired from international football but 34-year-old defender Lilian Thuram, France’s most capped player, has not yet confirmed whether he has played his last match for Les Bleus.