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He will remain forever the coach of the first major title of the French team. Michel Hidalgo, the former coach of the Blues who won Euro 1984, died Thursday at the age of 87. Moments after the final won against Spain (2-0) at the Parc des Princes, the legendary coach wanted to thank his players, at the microphone of Europe 1.
"We managed to have an almost ideal preparation, the players held out during the whole European championship. Five matches and five victories, it's absolutely fantastic, it's up to them hats off, "he said with his characteristic modesty.
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"Eight years of work, doubt and ambition"
Michel Hidalgo stopped his coaching career on this victory at Euro 84, in France, the apotheosis of the "Platini generation" which he had trained from 1976. "It's been eight years of work, eight years of doubts and eight years of ambition. Slowly we climbed in the hierarchy, slowly we had a little more ambition, and we even came to hope for the European title, "he added.
"I am sure that in their minds will now germinate another ambition: to achieve something in 1986 in Mexico", he concluded. The French team, this time coached by Henri Michel, also disappeared, was finally eliminated in the semifinals of the 1986 World Cup. It was again beaten by West Germany (2-0 ), like four years ago during the famous "Seville drama" ...