Any Englishman will tell you Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" was the worst and most controversial refereeing decision of the 1986 World Cup - they would all be wrong. Quite simply the USSR were cheated out in the Round of 16 against Belgium. Twice, the officials missed clear offside decisions to help the Belgians progress in a nervy 4-3 extra time classic. It was a depressing exit in a depressing year for the Soviet Union, with the country suffering the devastating Chernobyl Nuclear disaster two months earlier. There was a glimmer of happiness for the Cold War communists at the World Cup - and it came from a 25-year-old bloke named Rats in the group stage. Vasyl Rats was an unassuming member of the all-conquering Dynamo Kiev - who had won the Vysshaya Liga the previous two seasons along with a second Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 11 years. In fact the club boasted 12 players in the Soviet's squad - including 1986 Ballon d'Or winner Igor Belanov. Rats was a true Dynamo man, having played … [Read more...] about Remembering Vasyl Rats’ long range blast against France at 1986 World Cup
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Special Coverage: France 24 reports on Iraq’s parliamentary election after polls close
Middle East Text by FRANCE 24 Follow france24_en on twitter Latest update : 2018-05-12 Polls have closed across Iraq in the first national election since the country declared victory over the Islamic State group. Watch FRANCE 24’s special coverage of the much-awaited elections live from Baghdad. Date created : 2018-05-12 … [Read more...] about Special Coverage: France 24 reports on Iraq’s parliamentary election after polls close
France pitches for Eurovision win with song inspired by migrant baby rescue
Eurovision fans are gearing up for tonight's final of the song contest in Portugal. France is accustomed to not winning; the last time was in 1977 with L’oiseau et l’enfant, sung by Marie Myriam. But this year’s entry from pop duo Madame Monsieur is France’s strongest for years: a catchy melody with a topical humanist theme from a distinctly modern pop duo. Madame Monsieur are 30-something couple Emilie Satt and Jean Karl Lucas. Their song Mercy was inspired by the story of a baby born to a Nigerian migrant rescued at sea off the coast of Libya in March 2017 while aboard the humanitarian boat Aquarius. The photo of the newborn, Mercy, published online just a few minutes after the birth, inspired them to write the song. Universal story “We wrote this song wanting to pass on the same emotion we felt when we found out about this birth just 15 minutes after it had happened,” Satt told RFI. “We were really moved by the story, but it’s … [Read more...] about France pitches for Eurovision win with song inspired by migrant baby rescue
The inspiration for France’s Eurovision song
Latest update : 2018-05-11 The Eurovision Song Contest is just around the corner. France's entry is being tipped as one of the favourites. But not everyone likes the true tale of a migrant baby born at sea. Plus, defacing a UNESCO site or creating art in Carcassone? The chateau makeover that's dividing opinion. By Emma JAMES … [Read more...] about The inspiration for France’s Eurovision song
Who is Teddy Thomas? Racing and France star Leinster must stop to win European Rugby Champions Cup
EVERY now and again, a new star in born on the sporting stage, and in this year's European Rugby Champions Cup final, Teddy Thomas will look to rule Europe. Teddy Thomas was relatively unknown to many before the 2018 Six Nations Championships began, but the French winger stole the headlines - and not always for the right reasons. Who is Teddy Thomas? TEDDY THOMAS was born on September, 18 1993 in the small county of Biarritz in south-western France on the Atlantic coast. His mother is French and his father is Malian, but having never known his father he opted to adopt his middle name as a surname. What is known about his dad is that he briefly player professional football for Marseille and Saint-Etienne. Thomas is known for playing on the wing, which is positioned out the outside of the backline, or at full-back, where a player generally sits a few meters behind the backline. Teddy became a professional rugby player in 2012, signing for his local team Biarritz Olympique during the … [Read more...] about Who is Teddy Thomas? Racing and France star Leinster must stop to win European Rugby Champions Cup