France's bid to restore its battered image ended in a 2-1 defeat at Norway, but Laurent Blanc's rejuvenated team put on a far better display than the star-studded squad that crashed out in the first round at the World Cup.
The French team embarrassed its nation in South Africa with a string of poor performances and a players' training strike that capped an atrocious tournament.
The former world champions exited a major tournament in the first round without winning a game for the second consecutive time before Blanc stepped in and decided to drop all World Cup players for his first match in charge.
The former Bordeaux coach had only two short training sessions to prepare his inexperienced and young players for the Norway friendly.
His experimental team, however, managed to play an entertaining and attacking football French fans were deprived of under previous coach Raymond Domenech.
''I'm satisfied with the game we played,'' Blanc said. ''The players lacked time but respected what we decided at training, they created chances and had the ball possession. But we also know that results define everything. From that perspective, this is a big disappointment.''
France was in complete control during the first half and was rewarded for its efforts in the 48th minute when Marseille midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa scored from long range.
Norway's two goals came from individual mistakes. Erik Huseklepp equalized after 51 minutes with a shot from the right of the penalty after making the most of Guillaume Hoarau's bad positioning.
Huseklepp struck again in the 71st minute after Real Madrid's Lassana Diarra gave the ball away.
''Without this mistake the result could have been far better,'' Blanc said. ''We deserved a better outcome.''
France finished last in its group in South Africa, only showing its cohesion off the field when the players decided to boycott a training session to protest at Nicolas Anelka's exclusion from the squad following an expletive-laced tirade at Domenech.
''It's more open now,'' said new France captain Philippe Mexes. ''Everyone talks to everyone else. There's a lot more contact with the coaches and staff. We've only known each other for three days, but we feel like we know each other well.''
Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, who was overlooked for the World Cup by Domenech after falling out with the former coach, said he enjoyed the game and ''took a huge pleasure.''
Blanc dropped the World Cup players as a collective punishment for their actions, but the former Manchester United defender is likely to recall a majority of them when France begins 2012 European Championship qualifying at home against Belarus on Sept. 3.
Blanc, who called up 13 uncapped players in his squad, said he was happy with the newcomers' showing and insisted they would be given more opportunities to play with the national team.
''They played with the good spirit and some of them will be called up again,'' Blanc said.
