Fuente: © FIFA (English)
http://www.fifa.com/

UEFA EURO 2008: Vieira poised to help France

/noticias.info/

France's faint hopes of making it to the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals were boosted on Saturday with an upbeat assessment on the well being of captain Patrick Vieira.

Les Bleus have missed the hugely influential Inter Milan star's tactical flair and leadership in the draw against Romania and Friday's 4-1 drubbing by the Dutch. The 1998 FIFA World Cup™ and EURO 2000 winning 31-year-old was sidelined with a left thigh problem in the run up to the tournament, but is now set to play the role of France's white knight for the must-win game against Italy.

If France beat the world champions and at the same time Romania fail to beat what is likely to be a second string Dutch side, then France will qualify along with the Netherlands. Anything less and they return home.

Commenting on his captain at the team's Swiss training centre in the foothills of Lake Leman, manager Raymond Domenech said: "Patrick Vieira? He's better, he's training normally. He could play against Italy, we're doing the best possible to bring him to the level of this EURO."

France striker Thierry Henry emphasised what it would mean to have Vieira back in the fold. "If he can play it's important to us." notas_de_prensa_archivo