Uefa Euro 2012 Match Press Kit
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UEFA EURO 2012 MATCH PRESS KIT France England Group D - Matchday 1 Donbass Arena, Donetsk Monday 11 June 2012 18.00CET (19.00 local time) Contents Previous meetings.............................................................................................................2 Match background.............................................................................................................3 Match facts........................................................................................................................4 Team facts.........................................................................................................................6 Squad list...........................................................................................................................8 Head coach.....................................................................................................................10 Match officials..................................................................................................................11 Competition facts.............................................................................................................12 Match-by-match lineups..................................................................................................14 UEFA information............................................................................................................15 Legend............................................................................................................................16 France v England Monday 11 June 2012 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) MATCH PRESS KIT Donbass Arena, Donetsk Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA EURO 2004 Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 13/06/04 GS-FT France - England 2-1 Lisbon Zidane 90+1, 90+3(p); Lampard 38 EURO '92 Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 14/06/92 GS-FT France - England 0-0 Malmo FIFA World Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 16/06/82 GS-FT England - France 3-1 Bilbao Robson 1, 67, Mariner 83; Soler 24 FIFA World Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 20/07/66 GS-FT England - France 2-0 London Hunt 38, 75 1964 UEFA European Championship Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 27/02/63 PR France - England 5-2 Paris Wisnieski 3, 75, Douis 32, Cossou 43, agg: 6-3 82; Smith 57, Tambling 74 03/10/62 PR England - France 1-1 Sheffield Flowers 57(p); Goujon 8 Qualifying Final tournament Total Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO France 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 0 8 4 England 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 4 0 2 2 4 8 FIFA* France - - - - - - - - 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 1 5 England - - - - - - - - 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 5 1 Friendly matches France - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 6 2 14 26 57 England - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 14 2 6 57 26 Total France 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 4 1 1 2 28 8 4 16 35 66 England 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 4 2 1 1 28 16 4 8 66 35 * FIFA World Cup / FIFA Confederations Cup Last updated 14/06/12 17:53:39CET 2 Previous meetings France v England Monday 11 June 2012 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) MATCH PRESS KIT Donbass Arena, Donetsk Match background Ashley Young says he will "thrive under the pressure" of being handed the England playmaker's role at UEFA EURO 2012. The 26-year-old is generally employed on the left for Manchester United FC but has shone in a more central role for his country of late. He scored the winner against Norway and teed up club colleague Danny Welbeck to net the decider against Belgium as England won each of their pre-tournament friendlies 1-0. "I've enjoyed it a lot," Young told UEFA.com. "It's a lot of pressure to be put on me, but I enjoy the challenge. Wherever I'm called upon to play, I'm going to go out and give 110% as I always do, especially when I put on an England shirt. It's a proud moment for me." Since missing out on the FIFA World Cup in South Africa two years ago, Young's performances have not only earned him a high-profile move to Old Trafford but also made him an integral member of the England set-up. The 21-time international has been identified as the player who could hold his side's creative key in Poland and Ukraine, especially in the absence of Wayne Rooney, suspended from England's first two games of the tournament. "He's a world-class player," said Young, underlining Rooney's importance on the field but stressing that the mere presence of his United colleague in the camp was enough to give the rest of the squad a lift. "He's a great character to have in the squad and we've got a great team spirit here. Everybody's thinking in the right way and I think if you've got that off the pitch, you can take it onto the pitch and get the right results." Having watched the opening set of fixtures, Young is now eager to gain his first experience of playing at a major international tournament against France in Donetsk on Monday. "I watched the games yesterday, I'm excited and I just want our games to kick off now," he said. England face a baptism of fire in Roy Hodgson's first competitive match in charge against a France side unbeaten in 21 matches. However, based on the two solid performances against Norway and Belgium, Young is confident England can get off to a positive start. "I think if you look at the organisation of the team, we're defending from the front, right the way through to the back," Young said. "I think [Roy] has set up many of the teams he's worked for like that and it's important for us to be able to do that too. If we play in the right manner and go out and give 100% like we have done in the last two games, we'll be able get the right result." Last updated 14/06/12 17:53:39CET 3 Match background France v England Monday 11 June 2012 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) MATCH PRESS KIT Donbass Arena, Donetsk Match facts FRANCE • France are 21 games unbeaten, winning 15 since their 1-0 home defeat by Belarus on 03/09/2010. • Laurent Blanc is making his debut as coach in a major tournament; he took part in four as a player. • Franck Ribéry scored in each of France's three pre-tournament friendlies. • Ex-Tours FC team-mates Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud are yet to play a competitive international. Injury news • Yann M'Vila suffered an ankle injury in the opening minutes of France's 2-0 win against Serbia. • Younès Kaboul (knee) and Loïc Rémy (thigh) withdrew from the preliminary squad due to injuries. • Abou Diaby and Lassana Diarra were not considered for selection after injuries restricted their seasons, while Bacary Sagna broke a leg on 05/05. • A recurring ankle problem was cited as the reason for Yoann Gourcuff failing to make the last 23. Miscellaneous • Blanc made two squad announcements due to the late finish of the Ligue 1 season. He first selected 12 foreign-based players, who began preparations at Clairefontaine on 18/05 minus Florent Malouda and Ribéry due to the following day's UEFA Champions League final. Fourteen France-based players teamed up with the squad on 24/05. • Ribéry linked up ahead of the friendly against Iceland on 26/05 and Les Bleus travelled to Donetsk on 06/06. • Six players have previous UEFA European Championship experience, all from 2008: Steve Mandanda, Malouda, Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri, Patrice Evra and Ribéry. Pre-tournament friendlies 05/06 France 4-0 Estonia (Ribéry 24, Benzema 36 47, Menez 90+1) Lloris; Rami, Debuchy, Mexès, Evra; Nasri (Ben Arfa 73), Malouda (Martin 73), Diarra (Koscielny 65), Cabaye (Valbuena 51), Ribéry (Martin 65); Benzema (Giroud 73). 31/05 France 2-0 Serbia (Ribéry 11, Malouda 16) Lloris; Réveillère, Mexès (Rami 72), Koscielny, Clichy; Nasri, Malouda (Ben Arfa 76), Cabaye (Martin 60), M'Vila (Diarra 7), Ribéry (Menez 61); Benzema (Giroud 61). 27/05 France 3-2 Iceland (Debuchy 52, Ribéry 84, Rami 87; Bjarnason 27, Sigthórsson 34) Mandanda; Debuchy, Rami, Mexès, Evra; Cabaye (Diarra 59), Gourcuff (Ribéry 75); Nasri (Martin 60); Ben Arfa (Giroud 59), Benzema (Malouda 60), Menez (Valbuena 60). UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying • Hugo Lloris was the only man to play every minute of France's campaign, keeping six clean sheets in ten qualifiers. • Les Bleus lost their opener at home to Belarus before embarking on a nine-match unbeaten run to top the section. • Five members of France's finals squad did not appear in qualifying: goalkeepers Mandanda and Cédric Carrasso, defender Koscielny, winger Hatem Ben Arfa and striker Giroud. Domestic information • Malouda was a 73rd-minute substitute in Chelsea FC's UEFA Champions League final triumph against Ribéry's FC Bayern München on 19/05. He also featured a fortnight earlier in the dying moments of the FA Cup final, helping the Blues edge a 2-1 victory against Liverpool FC. • Nasri and Gaël Clichy helped Manchester City FC win their first English top-flight title in 44 years. • Giroud was Ligue 1's joint top scorer, registering 21 times as Montpellier Hérault SC sealed their first title. • Lloris won his first trophy since joining Olympique Lyonnais in 2008 as Rémi Garde's team beat amateur side US Quevilly 1-0 to lift the French Cup on 28/04. • Alou Diarra, Mathieu Valbuena and Mandanda helped Olympique de Marseille retain the League Cup, beating Lyon 1-0 in the final on 14/04. • Benzema scored 21 goals in 34 Liga appearances, supplanting Zinédine Zidane as the Spanish top flight's highest scoring Frenchman in the process, as Real Madrid CF claimed their first title since 2007/08. Last updated 14/06/12 17:53:39CET 4 Match facts France v England Monday 11 June 2012 - 18.00CET (19.00 local time) MATCH PRESS KIT Donbass Arena, Donetsk ENGLAND • Wayne Rooney is suspended for the games against France and Sweden after being sent off in England's final qualifier in Montenegro last October. • The France game marks Roy Hodgson's first competitive match in charge of England having been unveiled as Fabio Capello's successor on 01/05, assuming the reins on 14/05.