法國隊的後衛圖拉姆從沒有對德塞利116次代表國家隊的出場

　　紀錄感興趣過。圖拉姆將在6月17日法國隊對陣韓國隊的比賽中達到

　　這一齣場次數。他説道，“如果我想打破德塞利的出場紀錄，我在

　　2004年歐洲盃後就不會退出國家隊了。”在他退出國家隊後，他決定

　　重返國家隊，和齊達內和馬克萊萊一起將法國隊送入世界盃決賽圈。

　　他説道, “既然現在如此接近這個紀錄，那麼不打破它是很愚蠢的。

　　”

　　鏈結：

　　http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060616/7/7p2t.html

　　原文：France's Thuram to match record he did not want

　　16 June 2006

　　by Reuters

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　　Lilian Thuram was never particularly interested in Marcel

　　Desailly's national record of 116 caps, which he should

　　match on Sunday when France play Korea Republic in their

　　second FIFA World Cup? Group G game.

　　A prominent member of the team that lifted the FIFA World

　　Cup on home soil in 1998 and won the UEFA European

　　Championship two years later, the 34-year-old Thuram

　　announced his retirement from international football after a

　　quarter-final exit at EURO 2004.

　　In August last year, alongside playmaker Zinedine Zidane and

　　holding midfielder Claude Makelele, the defender changed his

　　mind and returned to help France reach the finals in

　　Germany.

　　"If I had wanted to beat Marcel's record, I wouldn't have

　　stopped (in 2004) but now that I'm so close, it would be

　　stupid not to," Thuram said just before the FIFA World Cup.

　　A reassuring presence in defence for over a decade, Thuram

　　has been hampered by injuries over the past year and has

　　struggled to the extent that he was no longer an automatic

　　starter at Juventus towards the end of the season.

　　The Guadeloupe-born Thuram looked sluggish in France's dull

　　0-0 opening draw with Switzerland last Tuesday and media

　　commentators are suggesting it might be wiser to drop him

　　for the game against the South Koreans in Leipzig.

　　Coach Raymond Domenech is likely nevertheless to select one

　　of the most respected figures in his squad.

　　"He's an extraordinary player and everybody can learn

　　something from him," William Gallas said of his partner in

　　France's central defence.

　　Whatever happens in Germany, Thuram will always be

　　remembered by French fans for his amazing feat against

　　Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

　　The defender, famous for his clumsiness in front of goal,

　　struck twice to present France with a 2-1 win that sent the

　　team through to their first World Cup final, in which

　　crushed Brazil 3-0.

　　Those goals remain the only two Thuram has ever scored for

　　France in 115 appearances.

　　"When I die, they will show those goals on television," he

　　recently told French sports daily L'Equipe.

　　Eight years after the 1998 triumph, Thuram, who won his

　　first cap on the same day as Zidane in a 2-2 draw with Czech

　　Republic in 1994, provides a symbol for an ageing team

　　looking for a final encore.

　　The thoughtful Thuram surely realises, however, that he must

　　now show on the pitch that he still deserves to be picked.

責編：盧爽