frbleus1-1, Exercise 3: Choosing claims to test

Model answer (check the details), using two claims from the table:

Claim 1: "France was a nation of artists, not winners, until 1998."
Evidence to look for: the results of the national team and clubs before 1998, such as the World Cup of 1958, the 1984 European Championship, the 1986 World Cup and the European Cup finals of Reims and Saint-Étienne (Chapters 4 to 6). Where to find it: FIFA and UEFA records, the federation's archive, and histories of the period. The claim is partly true of the 1960s and 1970s but must be checked against the record, and the word "winners" needs defining (titles, or consistent success).

Claim 2: "French football is a banlieue factory."
Evidence to look for: the birthplaces and youth clubs of the national squads over several decades, the work of the academies, and studies by sociologists and journalists. Where to find it: federation and club records, newspaper archives, and academic studies (Chapters 8 and 9). The claim is probably partly true, since many players come from the Paris suburbs, but it ignores players from other regions and overseas territories, and the word "factory" hides the role of the clubs and the federation.

In both cases, state what would change your mind before you look at the evidence.

Care: do not treat repeated slogans as evidence. Check which period the claim is about.