England vs France: ‘There’s something about this game far, far greater than a football result,' declares Roy Hodgson
Hodgson and Rooney say tonight’s friendly against France at Wembley will send powerful message in wake of Paris atrocities
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Your support makes all the difference.The England captain, Wayne Rooney, believes that tonight’s friendly between England and France, just four days after the attacks in Paris, will be a powerful show of strength and defiance against terrorism.
The French Football Federation (FFF) decided that the game should go ahead, and there will be heightened security at Wembley, as well as a series of tributes to those who lost their lives. The England manager, Roy Hodgson, said that it would not be “a normal friendly” but more of a symbolic occasion, transcending football.
“There is something hanging over this game that is far, far greater than a football result, a football match,” Hodgson said yesterday. “We will play the best game we can play, but there are other issues here that are greater than the game of football.”
Hodgson and Rooney both said they would have understood had the FFF not wanted to play, but that they were keen to show solidarity alongside the France players.
“We were happy to do whatever, either way,” Rooney said. “I am happy that the game’s on. It shows that France wants to show these terrorists that they are standing strong against them, and we have to support that. Tomorrow will be a great night of togetherness for everyone to see, for the terrorists to see, the world will go on and stand against them.”
The eyes of the world will be on us, not just the English
Hodgson echoed Rooney’s sentiments, that he supported the FFF’s decision and that playing the game was in itself an act of defiance against terrorism. “We weren’t pushing for the game to be played or not, we sat back and waited for a decision,” Hodgson said. “It isn’t a normal game of football, we can’t deny that. A lot of the focus around this game will not be the football match itself. It’ll be the occasion, the importance of everybody in the world showing we are not going to let the terrorists win.”
The Football Association chief executive, Martin Glenn, took questions yesterday about the details of tonight’s match, and said that world attention would be on Wembley.
“The match will have massive global significance,” Glenn said. “It’s the first big public event since Friday and it’s important to do something to demonstrate terrorism can’t win. The eyes of the world will be on Wembley, not just those of English people.”
The FA and FFF have liaised on a series of gestures to show solidarity before the match. “It is a game of football,” said Glenn, “and a very public commemoration of the feelings we have after the tragedy.”
Rooney and the France captain, Hugo Lloris, will lay a floral tribute before kick-off and coloured cards will be on the Wembley seats to create a mosaic in the colours of the French, rather than the English, flag. The words to the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” will be broadcast on the big screen, and that anthem will be played after, not before, “God Save the Queen”.
Rooney and Hodgson both said the game’s symbolism meant they could not anticipate how it would feel as a match. “Before the game it will be a bit strange,” Rooney said. “It might be difficult, you don’t know. I’ve never experienced going into a game with something like this having happened. It is a difficult situation for everyone, particularly the French team. Sometimes, when bad things happen, football is the place where you feel more comfortable.”
Hodgson admitted that it was “very, very hard to balance the enormity of the occasion with discussions about football players”. The England coach did say, though, that injuries and withdrawals have forced him to play such a young side that he would not have been able to learn as much as expected from the game, even before Friday’s events.
“There will be 11 players on the field, many quite young, making debuts even,” Hodgson said. “It will be a big night for them. We must not forget that it is an important moment for them, and we want them to enjoy playing football.”
Hodgson said six players under the age of 22 will play, with Tottenham pair Dele Alli and Eric Dier both set to start.
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