After winning the football World Cup tournament in Russia, France’s national football team arrived home on Monday, when rejoicing crowds turned out to applaud them riding a double-decker bus along the Champs-Elysées avenue in central Paris, before a reception at the presidential palace. Since France’s victory over Croatia in the final on Sunday, streets across the country have been swamped in a flag-waving, car-horn blazing party of multi-coloured jubilation. But, warns Mediapart political commentator Hubert Huertas, while this temporary moment of collective joy is one to embrace, it heralds no change for the country’s underlining social, political and economic problems.
One must keep a sense of proportion, even in this current state of euphoria, because we know only too well from where we’ve come. Let’s savour the exploits of Didier Deschamps’ team and salute this quite singular coach, who is neither charismatic nor a great tactician but rather a cub leader, head of a team of talented youngsters – even, it might be said, young footballing geniuses.
