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Lemerre names 18 players for Euro 2000 |
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May 22, 2000 PARIS, MAY 21 (AP) - French coach Roger Lemerre pulled no surprises when he announced a preliminary 18-player squad for this summer's European Championships.
Lemerre added eight players, all of them members of the World Cup winning squad, to the group that prepared in the French Alps last week.
All the players couldn't make the session in Tignes because of club commitments.
Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Franck Leboeuf played for Chelsea in Sunday's English F.A. Cup Final. Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira turned out for Arsenal in last week's UEFA Cup final, while Youri Djorkaeff and Bixente Lizarazu were in action for German sides.
"There is no privilege for the world champions," Lemerre said.
"If they find themselves in the squad it is on merit. The most appropriate players are present. It is the best team to represent the country."
Monaco defender Philippe Christanval, a surprise selection for France's pre-Euro2000 training session in the Alps, was omitted.
Lemerre said that he will announce the final four names for Euro2000 on Thursday.
It is almost certain that the four players will be Inter Milan's Laurent Blanc, Parma's Lilian Thuram, and the Real Madrid pair of Nicolas Anelka and Christian Karembeu, who are all in action for their clubs this week.
The likely selection of Karembeu, who rarely finds a place in the Real Madrid team, would be the only minor surprise.
"I never said that a player had to be selected for his club to play for the French team," Lemerre said. "It is harder than other places to be selected for Real."
The final four players will meet up with the rest of the squad next Thursday.
The squad will then travel to Croatia for a friendly match in Zagreb on May 28, before setting off to Morocco for a final pre-Euro2000 tournament.
France plays its opening Euro2000 match on June 11 against Denmark.
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