Weary lies the crown...

In May 2002, France were in much the same situation as Spain 2012. For one, they were undeniably among the greatest international sides of all time. Two, they were chasing history as the opportunity presented itself to become the first country to win three major trophies in a row. Three, their players were absolutely dominating the club game and, four, their youth system was the envy of Europe.

Until, suddenly, it all came to a halt. France didn’t win a third trophy. They didn’t even win a game and, in fact, went out at the first round of the 2002 World Cup.

There have been many reasons put forward for that failure, ranging from the simple to some surprisingly lurid rumours. But one of the most significant factors was undoubtedly fatigue. Indeed, France’s failure wasn’t sudden at all. They had been slowing for some time, with the state of the team seemingly personified by Zinedine Zidane. He was injured for the first two games before appearing a pale shadow of his usual self in the third, with his leg heavily bandaged.