The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for the fall (November 20 – December 18), has not only turned the calendar of the various domestic competitions upside down. He also postponed the France 1998 dinner, usually organized in December, by a few weeks. It was therefore held this Monday evening in Paris, in an Italian restaurant in the 15th arrondissement.
They were a dozen former players to meet there (Blanc, Thuram, Boghossian, Djorkaeff, Petit, Lizarazu…) and about as many former staff members starting with Aimé Jacquet. Present in 2021, Zinédine Zidane was excused, just like Bernard Dimoède, whose 49th birthday it was. Didier Deschamps and Robert Pires participated, this same Monday evening in Monaco, in a charity meeting for the benefit of Fight Aids Monaco, the association of Princess Stéphanie in charge, in particular, of supporting people with the HIV virus.
They had confirmed, for a while, their presence at the Monegasque event before finding out the date of the Parisian meal. Initially Djorkaeff should also have set foot on the lawn of Louis-Deux, but he had to decline at the very last moment and was suddenly able to join his former teammates.
On the menu of this moment placed under the sign of good humor, Italian specialties such as tasty antipasti and creamy ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese. According to the jokes and the chambers, the dinner stretched until after midnight. Various current topics were discussed. As an aside, it was, in particular, a question of the recent ubiquitous remarks made by Noël Le Graët against Zidane. But beyond these controversial subjects, a common feeling prevailed among the guests: that the bond woven nearly a quarter of a century ago is “stronger than anything”.
This dinner is a custom established for many years already. Except in 2020, due to the health situation, the gang at Jacquet likes to meet, once a year, around a good table in the capital. While several players, like Youri Djorkaeff and even Zinédine Zidane had published photos of the evening in 2021, this time the participants were, this time, more discreet on their various social networks. Absent Monday evening, Lionel Charbonnier, the 3rd goalkeeper in 1998, however posted this message in the form of a clarification, on twitter. “Since you want to know everything: all the absentees were able to follow our private party live, continued the former porter of the Blues. Everything was relayed by photos / videos by all present. A real communion much stronger than a family!! On this, I will keep the intimacy of our exchanges, at the table or (on the) networks. »
