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France's mood is being stirred
PARIS (AP) -- The World Cup seemed easy for Michel Platini when he was a brilliant playmaker. As an organizer, he sometimes feels like he's being tackled from behind by his own teammates."France hasn't really understood the importance of the World Cup," said Platini, president of the organizing committee.
One month before the opening kickoff, France is slowly, but surely, catching World Cup fever. But the hoopla cannot hide the fact that soccer simply is not in the blood here.
The sport is a religion in many countries. Not in France.
"This isn't Italy, Spain or England. It's a different culture," said Just Fontaine, who became the hero of France's 1958 squad by scoring a record 13 goals in a single World Cup.
After leading France to its only major title at the 1984 European Championships, and into two World Cup semifinals, Platini now finds cooperation doesn't come naturally anymore -- from the authorities, from businesses, from the unions.
The three major World Cup preparation events in France -- the preliminary draw at the Louvre in Paris, the finals draw in Marseille and the opening of Saint-Denis' Stade de France where the final will be played -- were all hit by transportation strikes.
And unions are considering further action during the June 10-July 12 tournament.
It hasn't dampened Platini's spirits.
"I'd walk to Saint-Denis if there's a strike," he said.
When Platini needed cash to beef up his budget, he complained bitterly that foreign firms were much more interested in becoming sponsors than local businesses.
And Paris authorities have been less than helpful in setting up the June 9 "Festival of Football," a colorful $8 million extravaganza of four parades converging on the center of the capital to symbolize the universal spirit of the game.
"You cannot imagine the problems we have had with the police, with the administration," Platini said. "If we wouldn't have done it, I think they would have been happier."
By now, he knows you can't make everybody happy.
From around the globe, the organizing committee got 25 million requests for tickets -- when only 2.5 million were available.
France had to build the 80,000-seat Stade de France in Saint-Denis because there simply wasn't a big enough stadium in the country. Capacity at the 10 World Cup venues is among the smallest of the last quarter century.
And when the world's fans realized that two-thirds of the tickets were reserved for the French, Platini became an international target for abuse.
Thirty European parliamentarians are suing the committee and the European Union's executive commission is examining whether to impose fines over what is perceived by many as a French ticket monopoly. European soccer federations are up in arms since they can satisfy only a fraction of demand.
"The World Cup is in France, not in Britain," Platini said in defense of the ticket policy.
As Platini struggles with that controversy and other headaches, the rest of the country is slowly gearing up.
If only the home team and its coach would give more cause for optimism.
After two depressing preparation games against non-qualifiers, a 1-0 loss against Russia and a 0-0 draw in Sweden, coach Aime Jacquet has been put on the defensive.
He was criticized in the French media when he failed to announce, as promised, his final squad of 22 players on Wednesday. "Quelle tristesse" ("How sad") lamented the sports daily L'Equipe.
But the World Cup is about more than just France.
At the Iran House on the Champs Elysees in Paris, many of the exotic carpets have been put aside to make space for World Cup T-shirts and scarfs.
The Footix mascot is drawing big crowds. World Cup-related commercials inundate TV screens.
Fashion houses have models playing soccer, nightclubs turn out long-legged dancers in team outfits and 10 tons of officially approved World Cup condoms have arrived in France.
But not everyone is getting into the spirit.
One nightspot is organizing male strip shows for all those lonely women whose partners have abandoned them for the World Cup.
And an anti-World Cup group, La Coupe est Pleine (the Cup is Full), will distribute stickers declaring soccer-free zones and organize picnics and theater showings where soccer talk will be banned.
"We want to be protected from his deluge," said Laurent Terisse, who helped set up the group.
In that case, he should only hope France doesn't win it all.
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan