France’s soccer team dissolution.

The last world cup was a major event followed by millions of people around the world.This year the tournament was full of surprises as many great teams were eliminated during the group phase. France, the 1998 world champion was among these teams as it failed to win a game. The reason why I am writing about the French team is because its elimination raised an important problem:racism.

Let me remind you that at half-time during the France-Mexico game, one of the French player Nicholas Anelka had an argument with the team coach Raymond Domenech. The player was sent home as he refused to apologize. Following that incident, the french players led by their captain Patrice Evra went on strike: they refused to practice. Their action ignited anger in France at a point that some politicians and news media criticized the players.

New York Times on June 23, 2010 published “Racial Tinge Stains World Cup Exit in France” with such a title one will take a look at the French soccer team which is mostly composed of players of different origins. The New York Times reported the interviews of many politicians who made racial comments on the team. Among those Luc Chatel, the education minister, who said: “A captain of the French team who does not sing ‘The Marseillaise,’ ” the national anthem, “shocks me, there it is. When one wears the jersey, one should be proud to wear the colors, you’re an example.”He was speaking of Patrice Evra, who was born in Senegal and who found himself caught between players and managers as the team refused to practice after another black player, Nicolas Anelka, swore at Mr. Domenech and was removed from the team. (The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/world/europe/24france.html). This newpaper did not take side as it was just reporting what the politicians and other local French reporters said about the problem. It does not give enough information. This may be due to the fact that soccer is not well followed in the U.S and since The New York Times is an American newspaper therefore it may not pay as much attention as much as the French ones.

Moreover USA TODAY reported on July 23,2010 that: France coach Laurent Blanc suspends all World Cup players. (USA TODAY).

Like The New York Times, USA Today covered the topic by reporting what others have said about the French team and also facts as it claimed that: “France's disappointing performance in South Africa came after the team also failed to win a game at the 2008 European Championship, also under Domenech.” (USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldcup/2010-07-23-blanc-french-national-team_N.htm). USA TODAY for the same reason as New York Times kept itself away from saying what it thinks of the French soccer team and did not cover the story with direct interviews but rather with third party.

Additionally BBC covered the story with much more details as it reported directly what the players, the coach and the French soccer federation had said about the team’s problem: "They don't want to train. It's unacceptable. As for me, it's over. I'm leaving the federation. I'm sickened and disgusted."FFF managing director Jean-Louis Valentin said immediately after the incident between Evra and Duverne, before driving off in his car.(BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8750302.stm ) BBC exposed the problem more clearly than NY Times and USA Today: BBC used more sources that are directly related to the problem. I believe BBC did a better job on covering this subject than the two previous Newspapers because it is an British news medium and more involve in soccer.

On the other hand the French newspaper Le Monde talked about the French soccer team’s problem with a lot more details. It used direct interviews with the French players and other people involved in this problem as well. On top of that Le Monde gives its own opinion on the subject as it wrote in French: “Si Laurent Blanc avait immédiatement affirmé ne pas vouloir prendre le rôle du "Père Fouettard" et ne pas avoir la responsabilité d'éventuelles sanctions administratives, le nouvel homme fort des Bleus marque néanmoins son début de mandat par une décision d'autorité. Une chose qui a pu manquer en Afrique du Sud.” (Le Monde, http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2010/07/23/equipe-de-france-laurent-blanc-affirme-son-autorite_1391692_3242.html#ens_id=1245881). Le Monde is basically saying that the new French coach Laurent Blanc took some tough decisions which were missing with the previous coach.

Also Le Figaro another French newspaper used an interview of Evra, the French team captain, to describe the problem. In an article it said: Le capitaine de l'équipe de France a également affirmé que L'Equipe n'était pas dans son rôle en publiant en première page les insultes prêtées à Nicolas Anelka. "Comment cette chose a pu sortir dans la presse?", a-t-il déclaré. "Je me demande comment ce journal a pu publier ces propos (...) Que la presse écrive des trucs comme ça, on est où?". (Le Figaro, http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/06/19/97001-20100619FILWWW00437-evra-un-traitre-chez-les-bleus.php) . The Newspaper was covering an interview in which the French captain was accusing L’equipe, a French Newspaper for creating the actual problem as it published what happened in the French team’s locker room where one of the player insulted the coach. The French captain claimed that the article of l’equipe ignited the problem.

Overall, I can say that all this newspapers have different priorities as they cover the same story providing more or less details and sources depending on who is developing it. Priorities are key to the development of the industry of Newspapers. Newspapers talk about subjects that interest their audiences. The priorities change depending on the audience.

Sources:

New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/world/europe/24france.html)

USA Today( http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldcup/2010-07-23-blanc-french-national-team_N.htm)

BBC(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8750302.stm )

Le Figaro ( www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/06/19/97001-20100619FILWWW00437-evra-un-traitre-chez-les-bleus.php)

Le Monde ( http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2010/07/23/equipe-de-france-laurent-blanc-affirme-son-autorite_1391692_3242.html#ens_id=1245881)

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