frbleus1-6, Exercise 1: The teams of 1982 and 1984

Model answer (check the details):

In 1982 France had most of the same core: Platini, Giresse, Tigana (who played, check) and Hidalgo as coach, but the team was still developing. It beat strong opposition, led West Germany 3-1 in extra time, and lost on penalties after a match marked by the Schumacher-Battiston collision. The semi-final was a heartbreak because the team had been so close and felt that it had been wronged.

In 1984 the same group was more experienced and had a fully developed midfield, the carré magique, with Fernandez added. The tournament was at home, with the crowd behind the team, and it was a shorter competition (a European Championship of eight teams), so fewer matches had to be won. Platini scored nine goals in five matches, and the team beat Portugal in a close semi-final and Spain in the final.

Why one was heartbreak and one triumph: partly experience and home advantage, partly the finishing of Platini, and partly luck (penalties and refereeing decisions). A careful account does not give one cause.

Care: do not treat the 1984 win as proof that 1982 was a failure of the team, or the reverse. Check goal totals and scores in UEFA and FIFA records.