Provisional France Squad (30 Players)

Here is list of 30 players of France squad for Euro 2008. The list will be reduced to 23 man squad, before May 28.

Raymond Domenech left out Juventus Star striker, David Trezeguet, who scores 20 goals in serie A this season. Instead of Trezeguet, Domenech picked St Etienne striker, Bafetimbi Gomis.

Arsenal left back, Gael Clichy, who has impressive season in Arsenal also left out. But, William Gallas included in this squad.

Goalkeepers: Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon), Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Mickael Landreau (Paris St Germain), Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille).

Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon), Francois Clerc (Lyon), Sebastien Squillaci (Lyon), William Gallas (Arsenal), Julien Escude (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Philippe Mexes (AS Roma), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Lilian Thuram (Barcelona).

Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Girondins Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth), Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan).

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Samir Nasri (Marseille), Bafetimbi Gomis (St Etienne), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich).

 

Evra ready for Les Bleus battle

Patrice Evra admits he still does not expect a spot in the France starting XI despite having just won the Champions League and Premier League.The 27-year-old left Manchester United's double celebrations to join up with Raymond Domenech's provisional 30-man squad as they prepare to face Italy, Holland and Romania in the group stage at Euro 2008. 

But despite joining the squad as one of this season's most successful players at club level, Evra admits he has some way to go before he sees himself on the same level as some of his more established team-mates in Les Bleus' squad. 

"I'm not going to expect a place in the starting XI just because I'm a European champion," Evra told a press conference at the France national team camp.

"I've come here with more confidence and I'm going to show that up to the (opening) match with Romania (on June 9). 

"But I don't feel like an international. I don't even have 10 caps, I've only got nine. An international is someone who has had a great tournament."

Evra has international team-mate Nicolas Anelka to thank in part for his European Cup victory, after the Chelsea striker saw his sudden-death penalty saved by United keeper Edwin van der Sar. 

But the French left-back thinks Chelsea captain John Terry, who missed the chance to win the shootout when he hit the post with their fifth spot-kick, was most culpable.

"In England they want to say that (we won) because of Nico, but as far as I'm concerned the decisive penalty was John Terry's," he continued. 

"When Terry slipped I knew that we were going to win. I knew nothing could stop us."

Now Evra is just as confident of continuing this season's success in Austria and Switzerland, where he believes the World Cup runners-up will be one of the favourites to win.

"All our players play in the biggest clubs in Europe, and the Lyon players are seven times champions of France," he explained. 

"France has a good chance of winning this European Championship. It's up to us to believe in our potential, because every player in our squad strikes fear into our opponents."

More Football News from TEAMtalk

Dutch drop Landzaat

Dutch drop Landzaat

Eurosport - Sun, 25 May 15:44:00 2008

Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has trimmed midfielder Denny Landzaat and goalkeeper Sander Boschker from his squad for Euro 2008.

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• Group C - the group of death

Van Basten still needs to drop one more player before Wednesday's deadline for submitting the 23 names of his squad.
Landzaat made the squad for the 2006 World Cup finals but played only as a substitute while Boschker had been called into the provisional squad for the first time.
On Saturday, Van Basten said the last player to be dropped would be one of three defenders: Andre Ooijer, Khalid Boulahrouz or Mario Melchiot.
Melchiot missed training this week because of injury and will have to show on Monday and Tuesday that he has recovered sufficiently.
"We want to see how Melchiot is doing. Boulahrouz made a good impression and Ooijer is fit," Van Basten said after Saturday's 3-0 win against Ukraine in a warm-up match for the tournament which starts on June 7.
On Monday, the squad will gather in Hoenderloo to prepare for friendly matches against Denmark on Thursday and Wales next Sunday.
Reuters

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I'm back, That's why we love football

After very long times..
I've been busy this month. So, i couldn't write often. Now, i'm back. Prepare for my analisist for EURO 2008. Congratulation for Manchester United, English Premiere League Champion and also European Champions League Champion. I feel sorry for John Terry penalty kick. He don't deserve to be in a losing side. But that's football, sometimes you get lucky sometimes you don't.

Let's prepare for next season football match. Euro 2008 will come in June. Transfer window will open. Where will Ronaldinho be?, Samuel Eto'o ? Gareth Barry ? Christiano Ronaldo maybe ?

We are waiting and waiting, that's why we love football.