France relives spirit of ´98, but death overshadows party

AFP - 13 July 2008 00:15

French Zinedine Zidane waves to the crowd after the football exhibition match between France´s 1998 World Cup champions and a world selection team at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris.

PARIS, July 12, 2008 (AFP) - Zinedine Zidane pulled on the blue shirt of France one more time on Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the country's 1998 World Cup triumph.

But the occasion at the Stade de France was overshadowed by the death of a young fan who was killed in a road accident on his way to the ground.

Zidane, who scored twice in the 3-0 win over Brazil in the World Cup final 10 years ago, scored the first goal of the night for the reunited French side on the hour mark against a Rest of the World team.

Emilio Butragueno had given the international select the lead in the 25th minute before Zidane's leveller.

Pedro Pauleta made it 2-1 to the world team before Ludovic Giuly equalised for France.

Croatia's Davor Suker and Bernard Diomede both scored in the last minute to ensure a 3-3 draw in front of a 75,000 crowd who also saw the World Cup trophy arrive by helicopter.

Aime Jacquet, who coached the 1998 World Cup winners, admitted that the evening had been overshadowed by the death of the 10-year-old fan who was born in the Cup-winning year.

A minute's silence was held in the youngster's honour.

"It's a catastrophe," said Jean-Pierre Escalettes, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF).