The France national football B team is a national football team representing France that plays matches at a lower level than the France national football team. In France, the team is usually called "France A–". They commonly played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations, from 1922 to 2001.[1]
| Association | French Football Federation (Fédération Française de Football) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Home stadium | Stade de France | ||
| FIFA code | FRA | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Denmark 9–0 France  (White City, United Kingdom, 19 October 1908) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
France 7–0 Luxembourg  (Strasbourg, France, 22 May 1952) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Denmark 9–0 France (White City, United Kingdom, 19 October 1908) | |||
| Summer Olympics | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1908) | ||
| Best result | First round (1908) | ||
The team runs occasionally as a feeder team for France national football team, to give a chance to under-21 or less experienced players to play for the national team without being awarded a full cap. The team may play matches held before World Cups or other tournaments to give second-choice players, injured players or possible choices an opportunity to play a full game to either keep their fitness levels up or to earn their way into the first team.
History
editPre-history
editThe France B team was officially created in 1922, however, at the 1908 Summer Olympics, two teams from France participated in the tournament, the main team and a "B" side,[2] but the matches that this team played in London are not recognised by French Football Federation (FFF) as official B team games. France B was eliminated in the first round by Denmark with a score of 9–0, but the main team did no better as Denmark then defeated France A in the semi-finals by a score of 17–1, conceding 10 goals from one player alone, which was a world record at the time.[3] Remarkably, both French teams conceded pokers from Vilhelm Wolfhagen.
Early history
editFrance B was officially created in 1922 and the team made its debut on 15 January 1922 at the ground of SC Luxembourg in Luxembourg City, where they lost to the Luxembourg A team 3–2, courtesy of a hat-trick from Robert Elter,[4][5] but France B fought back and achieved some vengeance in their next game when they faced the Luxembourg A team again on 25 February 1923 at Stade Bergeyre in Paris, this time being them the ones to win 3–2.[1]
Mediterranean Cup
editUntil 1968 (except for war years), the French B side played at least one match per year, with their most-scheduled year being in 1952 with eight matches against foreign nations A or B, of which France lost only once, a 3–1 defeat at the hands of Saarland.[1] In the following year, France B participated in the 1953–58 Mediterranean Cup, where they faced the A teams of Turkey, Egypt and Greece home and away, as well as the B teams of Italy and Spain, and France started the tournament with three consecutive 0–0 draws before losing 0–2 to Spain B, and their inability to score goals stayed on as they then beat Greece 1–0 only thanks to an own goal, but despite their failure to score a single goal in 5 games, France regained his feet and still managed to finish the tournament in second-place with 12 points, finishing with 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats, with their best victory coming against Egypt (7-1) in Nice on 15 April 1955.[6]
Decline
editAfter 1968, the use by French coaches of this selection became rarer: between 1971 and 1982, only eight matches took place and then the B side became inactive. It was Michel Platini, the then French coach, who revived this team under the name of France A– on 16 November 1988, which remained unchanged (sept for between 1990 and 1992, when the team was again called the "France B team") until 2001.
Recent history
editThe most recent match of France B was on 5 February 2008 against Congo DR in Marbella, the day before the regular A-team friendly in Málaga. The team line-up was Steve Mandanda (Hugo Lloris 46'); Gaël Clichy, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Philippe Mexès, Bacary Sagna; Jérôme Rothen, Alou Diarra, Samir Nasri (Gaël Givet 76'), Mathieu Flamini (Jérémy Menez 17'), Jimmy Briand; Djibril Cissé; team members Sébastien Squillaci and Abou Diaby were not used.
Results
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2022) |
| 16 November 1988 Friendly | France B  | 1–0 |  Yugoslavia B | Auxerre, France |
Micciche  90' |
Report | Stadium: Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps |
| 15 February 1989 Friendly | France B | 1–0 |  Netherlands B | Nimes, France |
| Xuereb 17' |
Report | Stadium: Stade des Costières |
| 12 January 1993 Friendly | Senegal  | 1–3 | France B | Dakar, Senegal |
| Sané 88' |
Report | Loko 8', 52' Prunier 38' |
Stadium: Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor |
| 7 June 1993 Friendly | France B | 2–0 |  Venezuela | Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe |
| Report | Dedebant 59
' Djorkaeff 67' |
| 10 June 1993 Friendly | France B | 1–3 |  Colombia | Fort-de-France, France |
| Djorkaeff 46' |
Report | Valencia 75', 84', 90' |
Stadium: Stade Pierre-Aliker |
| 27 July 1993 Friendly | France B | 5–1 |  Russia U-21 | Guingamp, France |
| Djorkaeff 15', 29' Dedebant 49'Guérin 56' (pen.)Bancarel 73' |
Report | Kulik 67' |
Stadium: Stade de Roudourou |
| 19 September 1993 Friendly | Monaco FC  | 1–2 | France B | Monaco, France |
| Simba 31' |
Report | Fournier 57' Leboeuf 64' (pen.) |
Stadium: Stade Louis II |
| 2 February 1994 Friendly | Tunisia  | 1–1 | France B | Tunis, Tunisia |
| Mahjoubi 71' |
Report | Gnako 4' (pen.) |
Stadium: Stade El Menzah |
| 25 May 1994 Friendly | France B | 4–1 | Francophonie XI | Évry, France |
| Zitelli 17' Baticle 33', 89'Madar 53' |
Report | Camara 42' |
Stadium: Ludwigsparkstadion |
| 17 January 1995 Friendly | France B | 1–0 |  Belgium | Le Havre, France |
| Gravelaine 7' |
Report | Stadium: Stade Jules Deschaseaux |
| 25 May 1995 Friendly | France B | 1–0 |  Slovakia | Cherbourg, France |
| Pouget 37' |
Report | Stadium: Stade Maurice-Postaire |
| 24 January 1996 Friendly | Italy U-23  | 0–0 | France B | Reggio Calabria, Italy |
| Report | Stadium: Comunale | |||
| Note: France is a U-23 Selection of 2nd Division | ||||
| 26 March 1996 Friendly | Belgium U-21 | 1–1 | France B | Charleroi, Belgium |
| Walem 10' |
Report | Rodriguez 90' |
Stadium: Stade du Pays de Charleroi |
| 19 January 1999 Friendly | France B | 2–0 |  Croatia B | Nîmes, France |
| Laigle 65' Née 70' |
Report | Stadium: Stade des Costières |
| 10 February 1999 Friendly | France B | 2–1 | Belgium U-21 | Angers, France |
Déhu  Vairelles 31' (pen.)Robert 35' |
Report | Maertens 52' |
Stadium: Stade Raymond Kopa |
| 2 June 1999 Friendly | France B | 2–1 |  Germany B | Lens, France |
| Ziani 45' Monterrubio 86' |
Report | Schneider 7' |
Stadium: Stade Bollaert-Delelis |
| 1 September 1999 Friendly | Germany B | 1–3 | France B | Karlsruhe, Germany |
| Neuendorf 25' (pen.) |
Report | Maurice 41' (pen.), 72' Monterrubio 59' |
Stadium: Wildparkstadion |
| 22 February 2000 Friendly | Belgium U-21 | 1–1 | France B | Waregem, Belgium |
| Sonck 8' |
Report | Diomède 58' |
Stadium: Regenboogstadion |
| 25 April 2000 Friendly | Morocco Olympics  | 0–1 | France B | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Report | Sibierski 77' |
Stadium: Stade Mohammed V |
References
edit- ^ a b c "France - B/A'-Team - International Results 1922-2001". RSSSF.com. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ Jon Carter. "Great Britain's first home Olympic football adventure". ESPN. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Boxscore of Denmark-France match". Archived from the original on 6 March 2005. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "International football match: 15.01.1922 Luxembourg vs France*". EU-football.info. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Luxembourg - List of Unofficial International Matches". RSSSF. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Mediterranean Cup 1953-1957 results". football.eu. Retrieved 31 May 2022.