BORDEAUX Paris St Germain and Nantes stand poised this week to further enhance an already highly successful season for French soccer when they attempt to secure a hat trick of places in the finals of Europe's three premier club competitions.
At international level, French sides have already left their mark on the season, qualifying for both this summer's Olympic finals in Atlanta and the Euro 96 finals in England. France's 20 match unbeaten run means that they will start among the tournament's favourites.
The quality and settled nature of that French side was further underlined last week when coach Aimee Jacquet said that there will be no place for Manchester United's Eric, Cantona in his team. Jacquet does not want to change his team's game by introducing a player who has not figured in the qualifying games.
At club level, France has never had it better. French soccer has been spectacularly unsuccessful in European club competitions, with the subsequently flawed 1-0 triumph of Marseilles over AC Milan in the 1993 European Cup final representing its only triumph.
That record, however, may be set to rights this season. Paris St Germain, in the Cup Winners' Cup, and Bordeaux, in the UEFA Cup, certainly stand an excellent chance of at least making it to the final.
For PSG, who on Thursday night take a 1-0 lead into the home leg of their tie against Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna, it is their fourth season knocking on the door. In 1993, they were beaten in a UEFA Cup semi final by subsequent winners Juventus. In 1994, they were eliminated from the Cup Winners' Cup at the semi final stage by Arsenal, again the subsequent winners, while last year they were beaten in a European Cup semi final by AC Milan.
For Thursday night's match, PSG will be without Brazilian midfielder Rai, while they have fitness doubts about experienced midfielder Daniel Bravo and French international striker Patrice Loko. Even without them, though, PSG still field some class players in Panamanian Julio Dely Valdes and Youri Djorkaeff scorer of the first leg winner.
La Coruna, a revelation in recent Spanish seasons even if they are currently in mid table, boast their own Brazilian, Bebeto. At the fourth time of asking, however, and with a one goal lead and home advantage, PSG should make it to the final this time.
Bordeaux find themselves in an identical situation in their home UEFA Cup tie, tonight, when they take a 1-0 lead into their game with Czech side Slavia Prague.
Having sprung the surprise of the season when trouncing AC Milan 3-0 in the quarter finals, Bordeaux carried on from where they had left off by scoring the only goal of the first leg in Prague.
Given that Bordeaux are currently just above the relegation zone in the French league and that they gained admittance to the competition by the back door (came through last August's InterToto Cup), their position is remarkable.
However, with players of the calibre of Christophe Dugarry, Dutchman Richard Witschge and the new, boy wonder of French soccer, Zinedine Zidane, in the side, Bordeaux could have been expected to pick up some useful results along the way.
If French prospects look good in both the UEFA and Cup Winners' Cup semi finals, the same cannot quite be said of their European Cup representatives, Nantes. They go into the home leg of their tie with Juventus tomorrow night trailing by two goals.
There are some reasons for hope. Firstly, AC Milan took a 2-0 lead to Bordeaux and look what happened to them. Secondly, Juventus received a short, sharp shock on Saturday when they were beaten 3-0 at home to Sampdoria.
This weekend, however, Juventus defender Ciro Ferrara warned against reading too much into that defeat. "It was a bad defeat, but I can assure that there will be no repercussions in Nantes. If they like to fool themselves, then let hem fool themselves."
Nantes, without suspended winger Reynald Pedros and injured midfielder Japhet N'Doram, will hardly be fooling, themselves, but they will be hoping.
