Bordeaux´s vintage Blanc whets French palates

Six points clear and hurtling towards a second straight league title, life is rosy for fans of Bordeaux – but a bitter twist may be on the menu if coach Laurent Blanc proves irresistible to the palates of those who pick the national coach.

Saturday’s trip to Rennes, who are chasing a top six finish, may prove to be less of a challenge in the overall scheme of things than fending off the high regard in which Blanc is clearly held by the French Football Federation.

The FFF, having last month confirmed they want a new man at the helm of the national squad after the World Cup in place of Raymond Domenech, are keen admirers and Le Parisien daily on Thursday was trumpeting that a deal was in the offing.

A spokesman immediately denied the story after the paper reported that an agreement was “more than probable.”

Le Parisien indicated that 44-year-old Blanc, who won 97 caps and who was a star of the French 1998 World Cup-winning and Euro 2000 winning side (though he missed the final of the former through suspension), had met a “very high-ranking federation member during January.”

Despite their swift move to rebut the story the FFF have made it clear that they expect to name their man by May 20.

“Out of respect, this should be done before the World Cup,” FFF head Jean-Pierre Escalettes said after a meeting of the FFF federal council last week.

Marseille’s Didier Deschamps, skipper of the 1998 and 2000 sides, is another name in the frame.

A decision on May 20 would at least allow Bordeaux to seal their title dreams.

For the meeting with Rennes Blanc will send in the heavyweights after resting several key men in the midweek league cup success over second division Sedan.

That was as much as a punishment as anything given last weekend’s disappointing goalless draw with struggling Boulogne.

Argentine defender Diego Placente will miss the Rennes game after being allowed to visit his homeland for the birth of his second child.

Trying to keep pace with Bordeaux are surprise package Montpellier, one of Blanc’s former clubs and who last week showed their form was no flash in the pan by beating Marseille.

Now the southerners travel to Boulogne, four points from safety but who can take heart from their draw with Bordeaux.

Third-placed Lille, a solitary point clear of Champions League survivors Lyon, have a trip to Nice, mired in the bottom five.

Lyon must for now put aside thoughts of their impending tussle with Real Madrid to ensure they stay just about in touch with Bordeaux with a win on Sunday at Toulouse.

Nine points off the pace in the title race, Lyon go up against a Toulouse side beaten right at the wire in midweek by Marseille in the league cup semi and who are doubly keen to bounce back from that disappointment as last year they lost in the semis of the French Cup.

“It’s cruel to go through that two years in a row,” said coach Alain Casanova, who nonetheless knows that victory over Lyon would mean six league wins and a draw since the turn of the year.

Three points would also move the southerners from “la ville rose” to within four points of Lyon.

“We’ll be out to overcome our (Cup) frustration and use our anger to propel us to three points,” warned Casanova.

Monaco and Auxerre are level on points with Lyon and away wins at strugglers St. Etienne and Grenoble respectively would see them go joint second with Montpellier if the latter came a cropper at Boulogne.

Paris St Germain, once again nearer the drop zone than the Champions League placings, badly need a win at home to Lorient – three points better off – while Marseille host Valenciennes on Sunday aiming to close a four-point gap on the top three.

Fixtures (1800 GMT unless stated):

Boulogne v Montpellier, Grenoble v Auxerre, Lens v Le Mans, Nice v Lille, Paris SG v Lorient, Sochaux v Nancy, Rennes v Bordeaux (2000)

Sunday

Saint-Etienne v Monaco (1600), Toulouse v Lyon (1600), Marseille v Valenciennes (2000)