Sunday Jul 09 2006 14:23
France coach Raymond Domenech has tried to ease the pressure on his players as they prepare for the World Cup final against Italy in Berlin.
Les Bleus are seeking a second triumph in three tournaments, with Domenech happy to shoulder the responsibility of facing the press and leave his squad to relax and prepare for the big day.
He told reporters: "They're preparing in their own bubble. They suffered so much from criticism after the last World Cup.
"They're in their fortress they've built around them. Until the match is over they'll be inside this vacuum.
"This is a match like all the others, I'm sticking to my focus. I'm not listening or reading anything about the World Cup, it's been like that for the past month.
"If you start looking left and right you can get overtaken by psychosis. I've been there, I don't need this outside pressure.
"There were seven matches in our project, Sunday's game is the seventh. I'm in the same state of mind as before all our other matches, we have to perform.
"I'm not treating this game as a final, but a game that we've got to win in order to go on holiday afterwards with peace of mind."
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