Things are suddenly looking up for the French National Team. Just a mere 48 hours ago they needed an excellent performance to even give them a chance to make the World Cup next summer. Down 2-0 going into the second leg of their Cup Qualifying playoff with Ukraine, Les Bleus came together and qualified for Brazil with a 3-0 victory to win on the aggregate 3-2. Close call for France supporters, but they are indeed through.
The next good piece of news for the French: They have extended their manager, Didier Deschamps’, contract through 2016. Deschamps is already a legend in France. He captained France to a World Cup title in 1998 and French Ligue 1 team Marseille to France’s only Champions League title in 1993. Now, as manager, he leads the national squad to the World Cup next summer and is on contract through Euro 2016 as the French manager.
The third reason to be a France fan today is the release of their Nike World Cup Home jersey.
The first thing you notice is the simple elegance of it all. Just a solid Midnight Navy uniform with a white collar. The deep blue color complements the white of the collar, FFF (French Football Federation) crest, and the Nike swoosh in an unassuming manner. They are going away from the brighter blues and reds of past national team jerseys and I think it’s a good choice. We’re used to seeing those accented reds and whites, but the simplicity of the throwback style on this jersey is a nice change of pace.
Even the team’s crest is a very straightforward look. The figure of the Gallic rooster (a national symbol of France) sits just above the “FFF” in small, unadorned letters. Above the crest, sits the single star, representing France’s lone World Cup victory in ’98.
You can call it plain or boring, but you have to admire the uncomplicated, no-frills look Nike and France are going for here. Considering their reputation lately as showy prima donnas, it may be a step in the right direction.
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