Defence Cordiale

France are in Euro 2004 Group B with England, Switzerland and Croatia. Their coach Jacques Santini will be at Spurs next year and Les Bleus have the highest Premiership contingent of any nation outside England: Patrick Vieira, William Gallas, Claude Makalele, Marcel Desailly, Robert Pires, Louis Saha, Sylvain Wiltord, Thierry Henry, Mikael Silvestre and Steve Marlet

The Facts

France will be bidding to become the first country to win back-to-back European Championship trophies this summer following their success at Euro 2000

Apart from Germany, France are the only team to have won the European Championship on more than one occasion. They were also successful in 1984

Their last competitive fixture against England was a 0-0 draw at Euro 92 when both teams were eliminated

France are unbeaten in 18 matches and haven’t conceded for almost a year

Zinedine Zidane is the current World Player of the Year

When France won the World Cup in 1998, Emmanuel Petit became the first English-based player to score in a World Cup Final since 1966. Petit played for Arsenal.

The Opinion

With Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Zinedine Zidane in their side, it is no wonder people think the French Achilles Heel may be their defence.

The record books suggest otherwise though with France conceding just two goals in qualification.

It’s 11 months since anyone scored against the French and Chelsea defender William Gallas is eager to preserve the stinginess.

"It is down to the whole team not just the defenders," he says. "All the players have been good in protecting our goal, that is the only way not to concede.

"We also speak to each a lot in the defence. We talk before the game about what to do and then during the game as well."

France open the defence of their European Championship trophy against England on Sunday.

Gallas agrees the clash in Lisbon could be one of France’s toughest for the whole of Euro 2004.

"English strikers are hard to play against. They are very direct and are prepared to shoot or dribble when they have a chance.

"If I play, I will make it my job to do better than the person I am marking whether it is Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney or whoever."

The Colour

Zinedine Zidane named his eldest son Enzo after the legendary Uruguayan striker Enzo Francescoli

Thierry Henry scored only three goals in 16 games for Juventus before joining Arsenal

Patrick Vieira was born in the Senegalese capital of Dakar

Frenchman Jules Rimet invented the World Cup in 1930. He was head of FIFA for 30 years in total

A Frenchman also scored the first goal in World Cup history, Lucien Laurent scoring for France against Mexico in 1930

General Charles De Gaulle returned to France in 1944 after the Normandy Landings. He spent most of the Second World War leading a Government in exile, based in London

England and France are only 21 miles apart between Dover and Cape Gris-Nez

The Matches