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World Cup winners look beyond FIFA Centenary match
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has played down suggestions the FIFA Centenary match with France will be a rematch of the 1998 World Cup final.
Parreira, who coached Brazil when they won the 1994 World Cup, took over the reins from Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil clinched their fifth world title in Japan in 2002.
Two headers from Zinedine Zidane helped France beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 Paris final at the Stade de France where Thursday's friendly is being played.
"It's a prestigious match between two of the best schools of football in the world, but it's not a re-match of the 1998 final," Parreira said Wednesday.
"But just because it's not a competitive match doesn't mean my players, especially Ronaldo, are not motivated."
Ronaldo had a disastrous 1998 final after then coach Mario Zagallo apparently had to be persuaded to let him play after the striker when he went down with a mysterious illness in the changing rooms.
The two sides have mmet just once since, in the 2001 Confederations Cup in South Korea with France prevailing 2-1.
Parreira said Thursday's match was ideal preparation for their key 2006 World Cup qualifying match against Argentina next month.
Argentina lead the 10-nation South American qualifying competition with 11 points from five matches and travel to Belo Horizonte in the south east of Brazil for this clash between South America's greatest footballing nations.
Brazil, who lie third in the table with nine points, could only draw 0-0 in Paraguay in their last fixture in April.
Parreira said the fact most of Brazil's players operated in Europe had frustrated their start to the campaign but he believed Brazil were now rediscovering their touch and were making it harder for opponents to score.
France coach Jacques Santini sees the match as useful preparation before the 2000 European champions face England in their opening match in Euro 2005 in Portugal on June 13.
"It gives us the chance to get together and have a good work-out against first-rate opponents," he said.
France will be without only goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and Steve Marlet, who play for Marseille in the UEFA Cup final against Valencia in Gothenburg on Wednesday.
Manchester United's defeat of Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals means all the English champions French stars will be on duty.
So it gives Gunners' striker Thierry Henry the chance to match himself against Ronaldo.
Real Madrid star Zidane leads a formidable midfield which contains Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira, Gunners' team-mate Robert Pires and Chelsea's Claude Makelele. |
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