
France battles Albania for Euro qualifier
Published Sep. 1, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET
foxsports
France expects a tough match with Albania in its 2012 European Championship qualifying group.
Team spokesman Philippe Tournon tells The Associated Press on Thursday that France coach Laurent Blanc ''has warned the players to be ready for a tough, combative match.''
He added, ''We've come for a win,'' but said they feared the ''Mediterranean temperament of the Albanian fans.''
France, which plays Albania on Friday, is top of Group D with 13 points from six games.
Blanc is still unclear if Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, who has a right-knee problem, will be fit for the match.
Albania, undefeated at home in the last two years, has eight points from six matches.
share
FOX SPORTS™, SPEED™, SPEED.COM™ & © 2026 Fox Media LLC
and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Use of this
website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your
acceptance of these
Terms of Use and New Privacy Policy | Advertising Choices | Your Privacy Choices | Closed Captioning