France's biggest rival?

[Excape Goat]

I started the same thread in Italy and Spain. It seemed that people seldom talked about France's rival in soccer. Naturally, people considered Germany or England as France's biggest rival.

[Nanbawan]

Personally, I'd say Italy. After that : England, Germany and Spain.

[lefutur]

Germany and England are obvious choices. Germany because of the legendary clashes in the 80's (and because of Schumaker) and England because the English were gutted after the come-from-behind victory France pulled off in the last Euro.

Of course world history has a lot to do with it too with all the wars between France and those 2 countries.

[gaijin]

Belgium and Germany are the traditional rivals.

I've never really considered England v France as a rivalry, its as much as I consider England v Portugal is one.

For me, our big rivals are Germany, Argentina and then Scotland.

[RandyNA74]

Personally, I'd say Italy. After that : England, Germany and Spain.
Italy? Really? That's kinda surprising. For us, France has really only been a rival since...well, you know. :o

Then again France doesn't really have a history of being involved in many particularly bitter and intense games...it's usually pretty clean as far as I can recall, with the exception of the 1982 semifinal.

Then there is that famous France-Algeria friendly where the Franco-Algerian jeered the French anthem...though that phenomenom is more tied in with the recent riots.

[fishbiproduct]

For me, England/ Germany/ Italy

[jambon-beurre]

Italy? Really? That's kinda surprising. For us, France has really only been a rival since...well, you know. :o

Then again France doesn't really have a history of being involved in many particularly bitter and intense games...it's usually pretty clean as far as I can recall, with the exception of the 1982 semifinal.


Huh ? in the last 20 years there have been lots of bitter and intense games ... but maybe often not for the French side, ask the Portuguese for example :cool:

Anyway, I agree that France's biggest rivalry is Italy because it's the football nation against the French have (or had) the biggest complex of inferiority, although it has quite soften in the last years (you know what I mean ...). The feeling is certainly not reciprocal for the Italians, but it is there for the French, so ... it's just like England and Germany. The English will tell you that their biggest rival is Germany but the Germans won't tell you it's England for them (probably Netherlands instead).
Before 98, I would have said Germany, but they've been so disappointing since then, that the animosity is not there anymore.

[navid90]

after what happened in lisbon by far england and if u actually look at european history from an academic view english ppl and french ppl hate each other w/ a passion since the beginning of time.

[Nanbawan]

Italy? Really? That's kinda surprising. For us, France has really only been a rival since...well, you know. :o


Little to do with animosity but it's the team we definitely don't wanna lose against.

*edit* it's a cousin thing ya know... ;)

[jonam]

Not meant offending but most Germans see The Netherlands as their biggest rival. Though it differs as Bavarians naturally have their focus more on Austria for example and of course there are many that don't like England or still see France as our traditional rival (several centuries of history as rivals on continental Europe). But as said if we have something like a "main rival" it is probably The Netherlands.

On the other hand the Austrians, the Dutch, the French, England and sometimes even the Swiss see us as their main rival. I had that discussion some days ago with a friend. Our conclusion: Either all those countries regard Germany still as a somewhat important football-wise or....they just hate us. ;-)

[jonam]

I should have read the whole thread before posting! :rolleyes:

The English will tell you that their biggest rival is Germany but the Germans won't tell you it's England for them (probably Netherlands instead).

[gaijin]

The English will tell you that their biggest rival is Germany but the Germans won't tell you it's England for them (probably Netherlands instead).


Yep....

[Tony the French]

Germany of course !!!

France- Germany in semi-final 82' & 86'.
Saint- Etienne- Bayern Munich. C1 final 76'

All that is very memorable for us.

[Leto]

For me, our big rivals are Germany, Argentina and then Scotland.

Scotland? Why Argentina?

Scotland?

[Herm]

In my opinion, this is England, Italy and Germany. But mostly England.

[midknight]

Scotland? Why Argentina?
Scotland?

In case you didn't realise he was talking about the english's biggest rivals well u know now.

Well Argentina is pretty obvious; its a great footballing nation and both countries went into a naval war for a little thing called the Falkland/Malvinas Islands as recently as the 1980's. (1982 I think?)

Umm Scotland is a Anglo-Britannic thing. Think a bit as if Martinique ever got the right to play international matches whereas they still kept their links with France. Then place Martinique right next to France so that they get to play regularly. Then chalk up a couple hundred victories for the French. Oh yes, and add to it the fact that the majority of French people consider the Martiniquans uncouth backwards and uncivilised or just condescendingly humourous. Remember how many Martiniquans have played for France and just keep on extrapolating...

*That should do it*

[Pierre-Henri]

We have no rivals. We are unmatched.

( :rolleyes: )

[weaponx]

L'Allemagne et nos rosbifs adorés les Anglais biensur :D

[gaijin]

Scotland? Why Argentina?

Scotland?

I'm English... :rolleyes:

We do exist in France you know. ;)

You should have read the entire sentence. As midknight explains, Scotland are those inferiorty complex riddled backward cave dwellers from north of the border. May they carry on having a shitty team for years to come and blame it on the English.

Argentina should be self explanatory. Falklands war, 1966 WC match, hand of god in 1986, PK shootout in 1998 and of course that game in Japan... :cool:

Germany are the same, we hate them because of the war (same reason as the Dutch for ze Germans) and because we have had some really tough games against them, 1966, 1990, 2000 and 2001. Germans themselves just see England as 'another team' and the animosity is higher in England than it is Germany. For Germany the big rivalry is the Dutch for the same reasons (occupation during the war, tense and controversial matches - i.e - Voller and Rijkaard spat.)

In more modern times I would say Turkey are something more of a bigger rival for England, even they have a subservient team who don't deserve to grace the same field as us.

[gaijin]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Belgium aside from me.

For me France v Belgium is like England v Scotland.

Let's laugh at our poor backward cousins and their shite football team.

Its not a rivalry that can produce an upset or get the adrenaline going, but its a rivalry nonetheless.