France
France's quest for a World Cup semifinal appearance will be put to the test against Croatia, a nation on a crest of a wave in their first-ever finals. Despite being recognized by FIFA until 1992, Croatia has overcome adversity, including the Balkan civil war, to reach this stage.
France
Italy faces a challenging task ahead of their Euro 1998 quarter-final match against an injured France team, according to Cesare Maldini. The Italian coach believes that France, who are wounded by criticism, will also be hindered by physical injuries to key players. Thierry Henry, who has a sprained left ankle,
France
Italy's three-time European Championship winners barely needed to break a sweat as they defeated Norway 1-0 in a match that did little to clarify their status as tournament favorites. The Azzurri's win was accompanied by a healthy dose of disdain from the Norwegian coach, Egil Olsen,
United Kingdom
The French proposal to launch Euro-X, a new economic policy club, on 19 May has dealt a significant blow to Tony Blair's hopes of EU leadership. The move, which would reserve Euro-X for countries joining the single currency, highlights Britain's political marginalisation following the Government'
Scotland
Scotland's once-proud rugby tradition was brutally exposed as they suffered their worst-ever defeat at home against France, conceding 50 points for the first time in a Five Nations match. Despite taking an early lead, Scotland was unable to withstand the French onslaught, ultimately losing 53-3. The match marked
England
As the countdown to the 1998 World Cup in France has begun, Virgin Megastores has teamed up with the Mirror to bring readers an exclusive offer to get in the mood for the sporting highlight of the year. This limited-time promotion allows fans to receive a free FAN-tastic colour poster
England
England's hopes for a strong showing against Wales in 12 days' time have been dampened by a disappointing 24-17 loss to France. Despite the narrow margin of victory, England coach Clive Woodward acknowledged that his team's performance was far from impressive, and the squad'
England
The much-anticipated France-England rugby match is under threat due to the deteriorating state of the pitch at the Stade de France, a brand new £270m World Cup stadium just outside Paris. The turf, which has been showing signs of concern for weeks, is currently frozen to a depth of five
