Soccer/World Cup Group Four: With the French national team's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup having suffered another blow in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, Zinedine Zidane has given what is being seen in France as a strong hint he would be willing to come out of international retirement this summer if coach Raymond Domenech requests that he do so.
In an interview with the daily sports newspaper, L'Equipe, the Real Madrid midfielder said: "You know I would like to be back in Dublin to play at Lansdowne Road in front of 50,000 and to help France win. I would like it, yes, I would like it but it will not happen."
The comments have fuelled speculation that Zidane would, in fact, welcome an approach and that Domenech will be obliged to ask not only the former World Player of the Year to return but also a number of France's other former stars including Claude Makelele and Bixente Lizarazu as he attempts to salvage his side's chances of earning a place in Germany.
Although there is no immediate pressure on the French coach to act, given that his side does not have another competitive game until the visit of the Faroe Islands on September 3rd and the match in Dublin four days later, Domenech could do with such a lift as there is growing pressure on the national federation to replace him.
Amid ongoing reports of unrest within the squad, the nation's media have now installed the Republic of Ireland as favourites to win the group but French Federation president Jean Pierre Escalettes insisted after Wednesday's draw that he did not see any reason for a change of coach before the end of the current qualifying campaign.
Domenech's cause is not helped by the fact that he will almost certainly be without David Trezeguet for their trip to Dublin following the Juventus striker's dismissal in Israel for head-butting Tal Ben Haim. Yesterday, however, he dismissed any suggestion that his side might miss out on qualification.
"This is obviously a very tricky situation but I refuse to consider that there is chance that we will fail to qualify," he said. "We are improving with every match. I know it's going to be tough but the big sides are those who never give up."
Brian Kerr has played down the significance of Trezeguet's likely absence from the Lansdowne Road game with the Ireland boss insisting his opposite number has enough quality players at his disposal to cope.
"Trezeguet missing for France in Dublin wouldn't be as much of a problem for them as it would be for any of the others," he said while en route back to Dublin from Israel last night. "You see what they had on the bench in Tel Aviv - (Thierry) Henry and (Ludovic) Giuly - and the fact that they didn't pick (Robert) Pires. Trezeguet didn't play against us in Paris and they have enough strength in depth to cope, although losing him would not exactly help them either."
The Dubliner said that the Israel- France draw was probably advantageous to Ireland's cause although, he maintained, not especially so.
"Usually when you're competing with other teams in a situation like this you're happiest when they draw but there would have been advantages for us whatever the outcome," he observed.
"I wasn't a bit surprised to see Israel equalise," he added, "I've seen enough of them by now to know they always come late on. They did it against Cyprus, against Switzerland and against ourselves. Against the French, they just proved again they are a strong team with good morale.
"This is still the tightest group of all. I got the sense out in Tel Aviv that people felt we were the best side in the group to play there but that means nothing unless we push on from here. Home advantage hasn't really counted so far in the group and we have to make the most of it for the games against Israel, France and Switzerland.
"But to be where we are after five games in the group is satisfying to me. Everybody is still scraping for points but we've got to go about our business now in the right way. And I still see it going to the last game."
