Stars show up
Stars from the late 1990s, when France were the world's No1 football power, have answered the call to put on a show in front of 15,000 fans with many more at home watching the five-hour televised event. Among the four competing teams will be one representing the France '98 association, comprising 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000™ winners including Zinйdine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Laurent Blanc and Bixente Lizarazu, several of them playing futsal for the first time.

Deschamps hope
"I know this sport is very popular in Italy," Juventus coach Deschamps said. "What we will do will be great for futsal, which deserves more coverage in my country." His side will be up against Paris Saint-Germain FC, whose squad features some of their current football players, and France's national futsal team under Pierre Jacky. "We are playing first of all for the spectacle, but also to give an idea of how good top-level futsal can be," Jacky said.

Benefit
The fourth and final contestant in the round-robin event is the Club des Internationaux Franзais, an organisation that encompasses all former French internationals and which will benefit from the afternoon's activities. "Years ago, international players were not paid as we were," said Blanc. "Some of them are now in financial and social difficulties and we must help them."

FFF backing
Henri Emile, France's national team manager until 2004, is head of the French Football Federation alternative-football coaching section which is behind this showpiece. "As soon as I took the reins, I tried to arrange an event like RTL-Futsal," the 63-year-old said. "It took time to find the perfect format and to get into Bercy, a mythical place. I still have strong relationships with the 1998 team, beyond just football, and they signed up immediately for the RTL-Futsal." Fans did too. Bercy sold out a week in advance.

Futsal hope
"What we want to do is to get this country used to futsal," Emile added. "To create an impetus which would lead to the creation of a spectacular professional league in France. The grassroots are in place. But difficulties come from professional sides and local councils reluctant to give facilities over to futsal. With their help we can really launch this thing."

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Govorya po russki.Komanda kotorya zavoeval titul chempiona Mira v 1998 godu i Chempionov Evropi v 2000 sobirautsya popinat` myach v minifutbol.Sredi nih takie zvezdi kak Zinedin Zidan,Lorant Blan i Bishant Lizarazu.nekotorie iz nih po ih slovam nikogda dazhe i ne igrali v mini futbol ran`she.
prezhde vsego oni starautsya privlech bol`she vnimaniya k minifutbolu vo Francii, v kotoroi uroven` etogo sporta nizhe chem v ISPAnii i Italii,to est` ih sosedei.nu a tak konechno prosto sobrat`sya s druz`yami i poigrat` dlya Show.

Translated by SAmurai