I'm delighted France won last night's Euro 2000 final against Italy in Rotterdam and for two important reasons. Firstly, I think most people would agree that, whatever about last night, they were the better side throughout the overall tournament. Secondly, I like everything about the way the French play their football.

The French look to play football, to make the running and they do so with style, elegance and huge self-belief. Furthermore, this French side is overall very strong. There are no weak points, be it attack, midfield or defence. Their win in the context of a tournament that has provided much bright attacking soccer represents a terrific advertisement for European soccer.

You have to now rate this French side as one of the greatest of all time. No side has ever gone on to win the European Championship after winning the World Cup and that bare statistic says everything about the brilliance of this team. As I've said before, the remarkable thing about this French team is that it is stronger than two years ago at France '98 when they were short of a class striker up front.

Last night's win was a triumph, above all, for French self-belief. They never gave up, they kept at the Italians and in the end they were rewarded. They are a group of players who have huge belief in one another and that showed even when they entered injury time with defeat staring them in the face. Even then, they kept working for one another.

Once they got that 94th-minute equaliser, they were always going to win. The huge, negative psychological effect of conceding such a late equaliser was simply too much for any side to recover from and when the match went into extra-time, it was clear that only France were looking to win the game at that stage.

French coach Roger Lemerre also deserves some credit for this win. He made three substitutions, bringing on Sylvain Wiltord, Robert Pires and David Trezeguet. All three proved crucial with Wiltord scoring the late equaliser in time added-on and all three combining for Trezeguet's winning "golden goal". Lemerre can coach football teams for the rest of his life but he will never again make three such brilliant substitutions.

Ironically, France were not the better team on the night. The Italians were more in control, their passing was tighter, smoother and slicker. Their gameplan seemed to work to perfection with their terrific defence giving nothing away and with Marco Delvecchio and Francesco Totti consistently looking dangerous on the break.

Italy definitely deserved to win the game in the 90 minutes but it was strange to see an Italian team concede such a late goal as Wiltord's 94th-minute equaliser. I cannot remember ever seeing an Italian team concede a goal so late in a game.

I tell you one thing about last night's game. If I were Alessandro Del Piero, I would take my holidays abroad this summer. He had two glorious chances to wrap the game up when Italy were 1-0 up and he muffed them both.

Looking back at the overall tournament, I really cannot say enough good things both about the football we've seen in Belgium and The Netherlands and about its implications for the overall health of the European game. From the very start, from the opening game between Belgium and Sweden, teams have come out to play attacking football.

Looking at Euro 2000 technically, I would also say that if you were a coach you would come away from this tournament thinking to yourself that you can field creative, skilful players with impunity. As a coach, you are now secure in the knowledge that refereeing at the highest European level will actually protect good players.

The whole gradual process of rewriting the rule books, initiated by FIFA and taken on by UEFA, in the immediate aftermath of a dull, negative 1990 World Cup in Italy, has come of age at this tournament.

As for individuals, clearly Zinedine Zidane has been the outstanding player at Euro 2000. Perhaps he did not have a brilliant final last night but, that notwithstanding, he continues to contribute so much to his side, he makes himself available and he is always trying to keep the French machine ticking over.

As for surprises, there have not been many but I would spare a thought for the Slovene player Zlatko Zahovic. He is a player I had not seen before, playing for one of the weaker teams at Euro 2000, and yet he showed a lot of footballing class. Which is what I would say about the overall tournament. Class will out, the best team won, Vive La France.