A lot of the talk at this World Cup has been about big teams underperforming and, believe me, I know all about that. In 2002 we went into the first World Cup in Asia as reigning champions and we had also added the European crown in 2000, playing better football and with more confidence in our ability. France turned up in South Korea with Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and Djibril Cissé – the top scorers in England, Italy and France if my memory serves me well. We were the overwhelming favourites and no one who looked at our group – Senegal (making their World Cup debut), Uruguay and Denmark – imagined we would have any trouble finishing top. And yet we quit that tournament after three games, without scoring a goal. One of the biggest flops in World Cup history.
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