France owes her presence in Sunday's World Cup final in no small part to an iron defence with at its heart Lilian Thuram.
BERLIN: France owes her presence in Sunday's World Cup final in no small part to an iron defence with at its heart Lilian Thuram.
Like Zinedine Zidane this is the 34-year-old's last chance to shine on the international stage, and he's grasped the opportunity with both hands, passing whilst in Germany Marcel Desailly's record number of caps.
The Guadeloupe-born cornerstone of France's back four, who modestly puts his longevity down to his body's ability to stay clear of serious injury, is turning out at the Olympic stadium wearing his country's shirt for the 121st and final time.
In a neat symmetrical twist he made his international bow in the same friendly against the Czech Republic on August 17, 1994, as Zidane.
Thuram's assured touch has helped muzzle the guns of Spain, Brazil and Portugal when he walked away with the man of the match, and he's savouring every minute of his time in Germany.
"I'm taking a lot of pleasure from being here because I say to myself 'this is the last one."
"For the goood of everyone I should retire after this because at my age....!" said 'Tuti' who is set to find out on Monday whether his scandal hit Serie A club Juventus will be demoted to the third division.
Part of France's 1998 World Cup-winning team - an experience he says has taken on a dreamlike quality – Thuram cuts a dignified figure, who holds strong political convictions.
A member of Amnesty International he has become closely involved in FIFA's drive to stamp out racism, and has also held talks with French presidential frontrunner and France interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy following the riots in France's suburbs last year.
Last week he employed cutting humour as a response to remarks made by France's far right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen that the team did not represent France.
"How can I comment on whether there are too many blacks in the team..... I'm not black. The public support the France team, they don't ask what colour the players are, regardless of whether they're black or brown or white the team represents France."
"If you see him tell him we're proud to be French." He will head off into international retirement with one cherished memory - the two goals, the only two in his country's shirt, against Croatia in the 1998 World Cup semi-final.
"I reckon the day I die they'll be showing images of my two goals."
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