And so, Président Hollande and the Socialists duly won a thumping parliamentary majority in the second round of elections yesterday. Not that 43% of the French electorate cared enough to go out and vote. Media interest has been concentrated on various high profile circonscriptions, such as the one in Northern France where the Front National leader's gratifyingly lost by a whisker to her Socialist rival. Perhaps Mme Le Pen should have grown a beard to go with the voice. Unfortunately, 3 of her similarly inclined colleague, including her 22 year old niece, did win their seats to give the extreme right MPs for the first time.
Elsewhere, Ségolène Royal was soundly beaten in her chosen seat by the dissident Socialist who maintained his candidacy despite being ordered by the party hierarchy to stand down in favour of the 'parachuted in' Royal. The battle was given added piquancy when Valérie Trierweiler, the current partner of Hollande tweeted her support for the rebel Olivier Falorni. Mme Royal was given lukewarm backing by the president and is, of course, his ex-partner and mother of his four children. Miaow…
One novelty this year was the introduction of 11 'foreign' constituencies, among them one for Northern Europe which includes the UK, giving expat French people a minor say in what goes on in their mother country. Anybody in Westminster listening? asks one expat Brit who will lose his right to vote in the UK in less than five years…
Perhaps France was more preoccupied by the European football championships in Poland and the Ukraine, where the national team's campaign has borne a marked contrast to the 2010 World Cup, despite a mere draw with the boring English. The subsequent win over Ukraine has seemingly set les Bleus on course for the quarter-finals, barring an unlikely set of results in the next games.
The football itself was somewhat overshadowed over the weekend by the sudden death of Thierry Roland, the doyen of French football commentators. His enthusiasm for the game will be sorely missed on TV games from now on, even if TF1 had already rather rudely deprived him of his largest audience some years ago. Perhaps the best description of his commentating style was given by another larger than life character in French football, Rolland Courbis, who said he commentated as though he was watching games at home from his own sofa. RIP Thierry.
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est football - miscellaneous. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est football - miscellaneous. Afficher tous les articles
18 juin 2012
10 mai 2011
Hot visit
The hottest weekend of the year greeted the third baby-visitors of the year. Le beau-frère et la belle-soeur arrived on Friday. The visit soon took on a routine - spend the nights sweating in a hotel room with non-functioning air conditioning, spend the days cooling in the apartment and chilling with their new and unique niece. In between the eating, drinking, playing, and afternoon strolls along the river, there was just about time for a chocolate-buying visit to Les Halles on Saturday morning, a stroll through the craft market and an ice-cream on Sunday morning. All too soon Monday afternoon came round, and it was time to return to their own children, canine variety.
And then there were three once more. La petite continues to grow, grin and occasionally grizzle. Sleeping through the night also continues, with just the occasional hiccup, though coming between 5 and 6am, they aren't really hiccups to complain about.
On the field, ignoring painful events across the Channel, the French championship retains the interest. The battle of the Olympiques on Sunday produced a dramatic game. Les Gones went 2-0 up after les Marseillais were wrongly denied an opening goal, the visitors then got it back to 2-2 before a late winner sent Gerland into rare raptures and just about kept OL in the title hunt. Next round over the next two days...
Elsewhere, the French football quota storm is starting to blow itself out. Coach Blanc (ironic name) appears to have survived taking part in the alleged discussion on limiting numbers of dual nationality players. His faux-pas came when talking about the 'style' of player required in French football academies - favouring those with 'technical' qualities over those who are just 'big & strong' - subtext (rightly or wrongly inferred): big, strong and stupid. Whichever, the sports minister has just given Blanc the all clear.
On the political field, the countdown to the presidential elections next year has already started. Today is the 30th anniversary of the ascent to power of the only socialist president of the Cinquième République, one François Mitterand. And it's being given the full treatment in the media - nostalgic articles in the left-wing press, somewhat more bitter commentary in the right-wing press. Battle lines already drawn in the sand of 2012…
And then there were three once more. La petite continues to grow, grin and occasionally grizzle. Sleeping through the night also continues, with just the occasional hiccup, though coming between 5 and 6am, they aren't really hiccups to complain about.
On the field, ignoring painful events across the Channel, the French championship retains the interest. The battle of the Olympiques on Sunday produced a dramatic game. Les Gones went 2-0 up after les Marseillais were wrongly denied an opening goal, the visitors then got it back to 2-2 before a late winner sent Gerland into rare raptures and just about kept OL in the title hunt. Next round over the next two days...
Elsewhere, the French football quota storm is starting to blow itself out. Coach Blanc (ironic name) appears to have survived taking part in the alleged discussion on limiting numbers of dual nationality players. His faux-pas came when talking about the 'style' of player required in French football academies - favouring those with 'technical' qualities over those who are just 'big & strong' - subtext (rightly or wrongly inferred): big, strong and stupid. Whichever, the sports minister has just given Blanc the all clear.
On the political field, the countdown to the presidential elections next year has already started. Today is the 30th anniversary of the ascent to power of the only socialist president of the Cinquième République, one François Mitterand. And it's being given the full treatment in the media - nostalgic articles in the left-wing press, somewhat more bitter commentary in the right-wing press. Battle lines already drawn in the sand of 2012…
03 mai 2011
Summer quota
Two shocks this morning. 4.40am and the sounds of a grizzling baby woke us up. First interrupted night in over two weeks. Knew I shouldn't have tempted fate. Then, after la bienheureuse had done her duty and la petite had allowed us a whole further 45 minutes sleep, I opened the curtains and the sky outside was grey. After a month of almost unbroken sunshine and temperatures of 25C plus yesterday, perhaps it was tempting fate again to assume that summer had arrived early. Then again, maybe it has - Evelyn the weather girl remarked last week that the weather pattern in the first four months of this year is exactly the same as it was in 1976, that other long, hot summer.
Almost two months gone by since the family era began, time for the second visit to the baby doctor. Another measuring session (2.1cm taller, 650g heavier 3 weeks on), and more tests of motor, visual and auditory function. The old boy declared the young lady to have the development of a 4 month old. Bet he says that to all the girls. Then he jabbed her twice in the thigh. First vaccinations, first real screams of pain. Soon calmed with a cuddle. More torture by injection in four weeks.
Life beyond baby is slowly beginning to resurface. Last week I made an evening trip to Gerland to watch OL rather undeservedly overcome Montpellier to keep hopes of the title alive. Said hopes were then virtually extinguished over the weekend with defeat at Toulouse. Five games left, seven points behind Lille. Similarly hopeless position to that in which mon équipe preferée somehow found itself before the weekend. Tempted to avoid watching the big match on Sunday, in the end I decided it would be disloyal not to go to the pub. Happy decision, even if it was rather a pyrrhic victory over the evil red empire. At least it puts a spoke in their supposed coast to the title. At the moment, blue somehow seems the lesser of two evils.
Elsewhere in the footballing world, more scandal this side of la Manche with the leaking of minutes of a meeting at the Fédération Française de Football, which suggested the imposition of a 'quota' to limit the number of players of African origin in football academies. After initially denying everything, the FFF was eventually forced to admit the minutes were genuine, but claimed it was only a discussion about reducing the number players with dual nationality who, having been brought up and received their football education in France, then later opt to play for their other country of origin. Whichever, the minister of sport wasn't happy and promptly suspended the French technical director of football pending an inquiry. Just what French football needed after the World Cup fiasco...
Almost two months gone by since the family era began, time for the second visit to the baby doctor. Another measuring session (2.1cm taller, 650g heavier 3 weeks on), and more tests of motor, visual and auditory function. The old boy declared the young lady to have the development of a 4 month old. Bet he says that to all the girls. Then he jabbed her twice in the thigh. First vaccinations, first real screams of pain. Soon calmed with a cuddle. More torture by injection in four weeks.
Life beyond baby is slowly beginning to resurface. Last week I made an evening trip to Gerland to watch OL rather undeservedly overcome Montpellier to keep hopes of the title alive. Said hopes were then virtually extinguished over the weekend with defeat at Toulouse. Five games left, seven points behind Lille. Similarly hopeless position to that in which mon équipe preferée somehow found itself before the weekend. Tempted to avoid watching the big match on Sunday, in the end I decided it would be disloyal not to go to the pub. Happy decision, even if it was rather a pyrrhic victory over the evil red empire. At least it puts a spoke in their supposed coast to the title. At the moment, blue somehow seems the lesser of two evils.
Elsewhere in the footballing world, more scandal this side of la Manche with the leaking of minutes of a meeting at the Fédération Française de Football, which suggested the imposition of a 'quota' to limit the number of players of African origin in football academies. After initially denying everything, the FFF was eventually forced to admit the minutes were genuine, but claimed it was only a discussion about reducing the number players with dual nationality who, having been brought up and received their football education in France, then later opt to play for their other country of origin. Whichever, the minister of sport wasn't happy and promptly suspended the French technical director of football pending an inquiry. Just what French football needed after the World Cup fiasco...
29 avril 2010
Dark football nights
And so OL's day of history foundered on the rugged rock of a German team that was just too strong, too well organised and too good. When we arrived at Gerland on Tuesday 20 minutes before kickoff the mood was optimistic, the crowd in good voice. After surviving an early scare in the first two minutes, OL came on strong, ten men running, chasing, harrying. It lasted 15 minutes. The Bavarians were already back in control when they scored the goal the whole of Lyon dreaded. If it wasn't all over then, it was soon after half time, when Lyon's Brazilian captain was booked for what looked like a perfectly good tackle. Unwisely he offered some sarcastic applause to the ref, who pondered a moment and then produced a second yellow card swiftly followed by a red. No sense of humour, these arbitres.
So we woke yesterday to a sunny day but gloomy city. La bienheureuse had taken time off from a big meeting at work to go to the match and returned to the fray yesterday, while I finally won a battle with a recalcitrant online banking system despite the racket from the renovation work in the building next door. Sounds more like a complete demolition that at times threatens to take down our building as well.
In the evening, I wandered into town to watch the second semi-final at our favourite watering hole in the company of a colleague of la bienheureuse, while the lady herself was indulging in a post-work gourmet trail through Vieux Lyon, sampling food and wine before finishing the evening with more food and wine in a restaurant. Meanwhile, in the pub, we supped Irish beer and watched a demonstration of attack and defence on TV. An Italian team coached by a Portuguese master of the dark arts of defending against the Catalan kings of attacking - 75% possession, 550 odd passes against 67, 15 shots against 1, eleven men against ten: no contest. Another triumph for anti-football.
And on another anti-football theme, seven 'fans' groups in France have just been disbanded in an attempt to resolve the hooliganism issue. Five are from Paris, one from Nice, and the last is Lyonnais. Any bets on how long it takes for them to reform under another name…?
So we woke yesterday to a sunny day but gloomy city. La bienheureuse had taken time off from a big meeting at work to go to the match and returned to the fray yesterday, while I finally won a battle with a recalcitrant online banking system despite the racket from the renovation work in the building next door. Sounds more like a complete demolition that at times threatens to take down our building as well.
In the evening, I wandered into town to watch the second semi-final at our favourite watering hole in the company of a colleague of la bienheureuse, while the lady herself was indulging in a post-work gourmet trail through Vieux Lyon, sampling food and wine before finishing the evening with more food and wine in a restaurant. Meanwhile, in the pub, we supped Irish beer and watched a demonstration of attack and defence on TV. An Italian team coached by a Portuguese master of the dark arts of defending against the Catalan kings of attacking - 75% possession, 550 odd passes against 67, 15 shots against 1, eleven men against ten: no contest. Another triumph for anti-football.
And on another anti-football theme, seven 'fans' groups in France have just been disbanded in an attempt to resolve the hooliganism issue. Five are from Paris, one from Nice, and the last is Lyonnais. Any bets on how long it takes for them to reform under another name…?
23 avril 2010
Too much, too young
A couple of examples of precociousness in the news recently. On Wednesday, police in Lyon stopped a driver who turned out to be an 11 year old boy, who'd decided he didn't like it at home so would go and visit his older brother in the middle of Lyon. He thus embarked on a 50km trip which included a stretch along the Paris-Lyon autoroute! Apparently he told police he'd learned to drive using video games, and as mitigation offered the information that he'd used his indicators to overtake a lorry and at no point had he passed 100km/h…
Another story dominating the headlines has been the affair of the footballers and the prostitute. Following a police raid on a bar/café in Paris suspected of running an underage prostitution ring, one of the young ladies in question (now 18 and thus legally allowed to charge for sex) implicated some well known French international footballers, at least two of whom she alleged to have paid her for sex when she was underage. Though she apparently also admitted she'd lied to them about her age, which means they are only being questioned as witnesses in the affair. The story is being painted as somewhat symptomatic of the life of a well-known young footballer in France today, surrounded by hangers-on only too keen to offer favours of any sort in the hope of receiving more in return...
Another story dominating the headlines has been the affair of the footballers and the prostitute. Following a police raid on a bar/café in Paris suspected of running an underage prostitution ring, one of the young ladies in question (now 18 and thus legally allowed to charge for sex) implicated some well known French international footballers, at least two of whom she alleged to have paid her for sex when she was underage. Though she apparently also admitted she'd lied to them about her age, which means they are only being questioned as witnesses in the affair. The story is being painted as somewhat symptomatic of the life of a well-known young footballer in France today, surrounded by hangers-on only too keen to offer favours of any sort in the hope of receiving more in return...
26 mars 2008
Adieu Thierry - la voix du foot
The French TV sporting world is in shock today, mourning the sudden death by heart attack of Thierry Gilardi, the main football commentator on TF1, the most widely viewed TV channel in France. Only on Sunday he was presented Telefoot, TF1's football magazine, and was preparing to commentate on the France - England game tonight.
His enthusiasm for all things football and rugby will be much missed, and he has achieved the not inconsiderable feat of stealing the headlines from the Sarkozy state visit to the UK. Even if the other side of La Manche, the tabloids seem more interested in son épouse Carla, Sarkozy is portrayed this side, at least by the left-wing press, as something of an Anglophile (or more generally, an 'Atlantiste', to include the US). Today's lunchtime TV news, once thirty minutes of tributes to Thierry Gilardi was over, noted Mme Sarkozy's 'severe' outfit for the state welcome at Windsor Castle. At least they had some sense of priority...
Sarko himself is meanwhile attempting to tone down his 'bling' image for the trip, and has already displayed a certain sense of taste in his choice of venue for his meeting with Gordon Brown tomorrow.
His enthusiasm for all things football and rugby will be much missed, and he has achieved the not inconsiderable feat of stealing the headlines from the Sarkozy state visit to the UK. Even if the other side of La Manche, the tabloids seem more interested in son épouse Carla, Sarkozy is portrayed this side, at least by the left-wing press, as something of an Anglophile (or more generally, an 'Atlantiste', to include the US). Today's lunchtime TV news, once thirty minutes of tributes to Thierry Gilardi was over, noted Mme Sarkozy's 'severe' outfit for the state welcome at Windsor Castle. At least they had some sense of priority...
Sarko himself is meanwhile attempting to tone down his 'bling' image for the trip, and has already displayed a certain sense of taste in his choice of venue for his meeting with Gordon Brown tomorrow.
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