France 1978 jacket

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After 12 years of drought, France won the World Cup again in 1978. However, it was not a peaceful victory, as just before the World Cup, Michel Hidalgo was the victim of a kidnapping attempt in Gironde, France, by activists protesting against the French team's participation in the World Cup organised by the Argentine dictatorship. Except that Michel was stronger than Chuck Norris, so he single-handedly neutralised his three attackers and France returned to Argentina, one year after its tour of South America (photo of the match at La Bombonera in 1977, 0-0 above).

Unfortunately, France, with Michel Platini, lost to Italy (1-2) and to the host country Argentina (1-2) and finished third in the group ahead of Hungary, which they beat (3-1). Thus ended France's World Cup campaign in Argentina, but Platini, Trésor, Bossis, Six, Rocheteau and the others had made their mark in the most prestigious of competitions, for which they would be among the favourites four years later.