Are France the best ever European side?

Are France the best ever European champions

Super-sub David Trezeguet's golden goal winner in Rotterdam meant France became the first reigning world champions to claim the European title.

Does this unprecedented achievement set them apart from the rest of the continent's great teams?

It is widely regarded that Roger Lemerre's side of Euro 2000 are better than the one that lifted the World Cup under the guidance of Aime Jacquet.

France lacked strikers two years ago and instead relied on resilience from their defence and drive from their midfield.

This time in the final against Italy they had the luxury of displaying a wealth of talent up - front including Thierry Henry, Christophe Dugarry, Nicolas Anelka and Trezeguet.

But there are other great outfits from the past who could threaten this team's position at the peak of European football.

The Dutch side of 1988 swept aside all who came across their path, with the likes of Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten a potent force.

The French side of 1984 with the talents Michel Platini, Jean Tigana and Alain Giresse arguably presented the footballing public with a brand of flair which has never been seen since.

And Franz Beckenbauer's formidable German team won the European title in 1972 - before going on to become world champions two years later.

So should France be considered the best ever European champions?

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The best team for the time being without any doubt is Holland, because they play with their heart and mind and they have never had any luck. They deserved to win the World Cup in 1990, 1998 and Euro 1992 and 2000. Even when they played badly in 1996 they still showed us the real mentality of Dutch football which is creative and fantastic with great individuals.
Bashar Faraj, Sweden

The current French team is the most successful one in terms of winning cups. However, they did not dominate World Cup 98 and the recent Euro 2000. Holland, Portugal and even Italy deserved better. The main reason France won was unfair intervention. Four minutes of extra time? Their (offside) goal against Portugal?
Axel, Malaysia

France are completely unworthy of the footballing success they have achieved. They were lucky to get to the final of both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, scraping through on penalties or lucky late goals.

They will go down in history as one of the truly great football teams

  Oliver Mallen, UK

Their victory against Italy was no exception, Italy being clearly the better team. The two best teams in Europe by far at the moment are Holland and Portugal. They are the only two who play with the kind of brilliance and flair only associated with truly great teams like Brazil. Holland beat France during Euro 2000 and Portugal were very unlucky to lose the semifinal in which they were clearly the better side.
Michael Brown, Portugal

I think France is the team of the 90's just like the Germans were in the 70's. They will probably reign as champions for some time to come. The Euro 2000 'All Stars' named by Uefa's technical study group includes more French players (six in total) than any other nation. That says it all.
John Nevitt, UK

It is true that there are few sides that can touch the French at the moment. The modern game favours the team with a player who can control the midfield area just behind the striker(s). France possess the truly outstanding talent of this footballing generation in the shape of Zinedine Zidane, and there are few in world football who can play in that position with the same effectiveness. The team around Zidane is a rare mix of subtlety and power, which can approach any game with supreme confidence. Confident in the knowledge that they have the tools to dismantle the most determined of opponents. They will go down in history as one of the truly great football teams, alongside Hungary 1954, Brazil 1970, and the Dutch team of 1974.
Oliver Mallen, UK

They are the best side by far Football is widely considered to be played at higher standard now than ever before and for a team to dominate like the French is a major feat .Zidane was excellent.
paul neave, England

The 10 men who faced Holland gave to all Italians another trophy nobody can touch

  Stefano Maselli, Italy

As an Italian I'm not happy of the final's result, but there is some philosopy in it all. France got the trophy even after being outclassed and dominated for 92 minutes and 40 seconds. However the 10 men who faced Holland gave to all Italians another trophy nobody can touch: the satisfation,the pride and the respect of many people around the world that have shared the emotions and even insults. Thank you to my Italian team. I'm very proud of them. They are heroes for me..but they could not fight something that is impossible to see and fight.......destiny!
Stefano Maselli, Italy

It is clear for all to see that this successful French side is the best ever European team. Not only is it the first ever team to win both the World Cup and the European championship in successive years, but the array of world class players found within the squad, including Barthez, Desailly, Petit, Zidane, Henry and Anelka to name but a few, has been found in few of the european teams both past and present. The question now is, who on earth can stop France from retaining the World Cup in 2002?
Gaith Al-Mawlawi, UK (England)

I think currently the French side are the best. However, I think some of their weaknesses were exposed by Italy. I know much is said of the vaunted back four of Thuram, Desailly, Blanc and Lizarazu but I believe on occasions they certainly rode their luck. The irony is that the French domestic league is not that particularly strong! Most of them play in Italy or England. Quite bizarre!
Rob, England

The question now is, who on earth can stop France from retaining the World Cup in 2002?

  Gaith Al-Mawlawi, UK (England)

France are certainly up there with the best football teams ever. Like all their glorious predecessors (Pele's Brazil, Beckenbauer's Germany), they have something more than all their rivals: they seem unbeatable, which is the trademark of the great. When you rally after going down one goal three times in row, you can't speak of luck anymore. It seems the God of football has chosen its side and that he likes Camembert!
Antoine, France

France 2000 as best ever European champions? No Way! The French team of 1984 was far better. They had more flair to break down defences. Then the German team of the early 70s was one of the all time greats, with players like Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier. And of course the Dutch in '88 were just as brilliant. The trio of Van Basten, Gullit and Rijkaard were world-beaters. These earlier teams overpowered other teams. Don't forget that with less injury time, this French outfit wouldn't even be the champions!
A. Faulkner, Switzerland (UK citizen)

Its a tough call, but you have to say that this French side have quality, strength and belief oozing out of them. They are certainly the best international team in the world right now and the record books will testify that (unlike the great Dutch sides of the mid-70's). Tell me though, where did that 4 minutes of injury time come from?
Trev, UK

Who knows, maybe every other team in Europe is horrible and France is just the only good one of the lot

  Jonathan Fingas, Canada

I'd be a bit hesitant to label France's team the best that Europe has ever fostered. You'd have to have the confidence that the team was unquestionably superior to the whole history of European football, not just at the time. Who knows, maybe every other team in Europe is horrible and France is just the only good one of the lot! There's no doubt that France has a solid team either way. Barthez is a veritable wall, and France's attackers like Zidane are just brutal. But nevertheless I would want to see another substantial win on France's part before giving them the crown.
Jonathan Fingas, Canada