Playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, labelled the new Zinedine Zidane by the French media, is a player that can inspire Les Bleus, writes Matt Spiro
RAYMOND DOMENECH may not have made many inspired choices during his five years in charge of France, but the often-criticised coach deserves credit for one particular masterstroke.
The pressure was on the former world champions and their beleaguered trainer when they hosted Serbia in the second match of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Four days earlier, Les Bleus had crumbled to a 3-1 defeat in Austria. Domenech, who had been told he would be dismissed if his side failed to take a minimum of five points from their opening three games, could not afford another slip.
To everybody’s surprise, he chose this incredibly tense moment to offer a fresh-faced 22-year-old his full international debut. Yoann Gourcuff, in his first Stade de France appearance, was handed the crucial role of playmaker and asked to fill the immense void that has been left by the nation’s favourite son Zinedine Zidane.
Inevitably, the knives were being sharpened in the build up to kick-off, with a host of experts questioning Domenech’s selection. “Why has he chosen this particular moment to start experimenting with new players?” ex-international Jean-Michel Larque said on his radio show.
Had Gourcuff struggled and France not won, the axe would have fallen. As it was, the Bordeaux playmaker was outstanding, cleverly setting up Nicolas Anelka for the winning goal in a 2-1 triumph, hitting the crossbar, and charming the fans with his skill and vision.
In the next match, France were two down in Romania when Gourcuff again came to the rescue, laying on the first for Franck Ribery before clinching a 2-2 draw with a superb 30-yard strike of his own. France had four points from three games, one shy of their target, yet Domenech survived thanks in no small part to Gourcuff’s thrilling emergence.
It is little wonder then that the unassuming youngster from Brittany has become one of Domenech’s favourites.
Gourcuff has accumulated 14 caps in just over a year, he has inspired Bordeaux to their first league title in a decade, won the Ligue 1 player of the year award, pieced together his own “goal of the season” competition, and helped his club ease through to the last 16 of this season’s Champions League.
One of four Frenchmen nominated for the 2009 Ballon d’Or, Gourcuff may not yet be a household name outside France but he is the man who pulls the strings in Domenech’s team.
If Ribery, Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema have all been likened to Zidane, Gourcuff is easily closest to being the real deal.
“He has the same moves as Zidane, although Yoann plays higher up the pitch,” said Michel Platini after seeing Gourcuff’s mesmerising goals against Paris St Germain and Toulouse last year. “He has everything he needs to become a great.”
Followers of Ligue 1 have known of Gourcuff’s talent for some time. Born in Lorient, the proud Breton was perhaps even better at tennis than he was at soccer as a boy, but he jumped at the chance to join Rennes’ youth academy, not least because his father Christian Gourcuff was first-team coach. Gourcuff senior, now in charge of Lorient, thrust his boy into senior action aged 17, and he quickly becoming the team’s star.
In 2006, after the teenager had masterminded a shock 4-1 win away to then champions Lyon, AC Milan came knocking and – after careful consultation with his father – Gourcuff decided to leave France. He made a highly promising start at San Siro, but with Kaka occupying the attacking role in Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield diamond, opportunities became limited.
The tall, reserved, but highly-intelligent Frenchman wanted to play regularly so joined Bordeaux on loan last season, prompting a wave of criticism from Italy.
“There were simply too many top players for him,” Ancelotti said. “Gourcuff needed to fight more for his place.”
Assistant coach Alessandro Costacurta, meanwhile, questioned his personality, saying: “Yoann never fitted in. He would sit on his own in the dressingroom and not talk to anyone.”
Some in Italy had been impressed, though. The majority of Milan fans felt Gourcuff should never have been allowed to leave an ageing squad, while Kaka was full of praise for his former team-mate.
“He’s a fantastic player with enormous talent,” gushed the Brazilian. “If he carries on improving like he is, he will write his name into football’s history books.”
If Gourcuff felt Milan had lacked faith, Bordeaux represented a welcome change. Last year, Laurent Blanc built his title-winning team around the schemer and this summer the club made a huge financial effort to fund a buyout clause of €14 million and meet his wage demands.
Today, Blanc has no hesitation when asked if Bordeaux have become too dependant on Gourcuff. “Of course we’re dependant on him,” the former France defender said. “Every team in the world relies on their best players. But Yoann is especially important to us because he gets the others playing. When he’s there the team is guaranteed to play at a high level.”
When he is not there Bordeaux’s results are average. Gourcuff was missing with a thigh injury last month, and Les Girondins immediately surrendered their unbeaten record, losing to Saint-Etienne and Auxerre. With Gourcuff back, they defeated Bayern Munich home and away.
Blessed with good looks, sublime talent and charming manners, Gourcuff seems to be the perfect player and ideal marketing tool. Nevertheless, some in France still manage to pick holes. Indeed, his introvert nature has prompted accusations of aloofness, and his penchant for showboating is often interpreted as arrogance.
Even Blanc was annoyed after Gourcuff’s tame penalty in the home match with Bayern was saved. “He lacked humility,” the coach said after Gourcuff had tried to emulate Zidane’s World Cup final spot kick by dinking the ball gently down the middle.
Yet in person, Gourcuff comes across as a true gentleman. There is no visible arrogance. At France’s training base in Clairefontaine on Thursday, he fielded questions with remarkable maturity, always pausing for a few seconds before offering considered his responses.
When asked about tonight’s opponents, he went much further than the standard response about Ireland’s fighting spirit.
“We’ve already studied videos of their games,” Gourcuff said. “They play with absolute commitment and when they’re at home the fans demand they get stuck in. They never give you an inch but they also use the ball well.”
Gourcuff, who is likely to operate in the hole behind the centre forward, has been giving plenty of thought as to how he might hurt the Irish defence.
“The key is to try to stop them closing us down early,” he explained. “We need to be able to impose our passing style and make them run as much as possible. My game is all about playing between the lines, so I’ve been trying to work out how to find space.”
Growing up with one of France’s most respected coaches as a father has evidently rubbed off on Gourcuff junior, and he is relishing the prospect of trying to out-think Giovanni Trapattoni. “I progressed a lot in Italy, particularly in terms of tactics,” he said. “The Italians are great tacticians and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Ireland aren’t losing since Trapattoni took over. But if we can succeed in imposing our own game then I’m sure we’ll be the team that goes through.”
And France’s new pin-up boy will almost certainly have played a central part.
Lorient express
BORNin Lorient on 11/07/1986
The son of Ligue 1 coach Christian Gourcuff, Yoann joined his father at Rennes aged 15.
He featured in 66 games at Rennes before joining AC Milan in 2006.
Competing with Kaka, Gourcuff faded after a promising start. Over two seasons, he played 53 games for Milan, scoring three goals.
Last season, he enjoyed a breakthrough year on loan at Bordeaux, scoring 12 goals and topping the assists chart as Les Girondins won the league.
In his first international start, the playmaker turned in a superb performance to help Les Bleus beat Serbia in September 2008.
Despite Milan wanting him back, Gourcuff joined Bordeaux for €14m in the summer.
He was named Ligue 1 player of the year and has been nominated for the 2009 Ballon d'Or.
