France B
AssociationFrench Football Federation
(Fédération Française
de Football)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Home stadiumStade de France
FIFA codeFRA
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Denmark 9–0 France 
(White City, United Kingdom, 19 October 1908)
Biggest win
 France 7–0 Luxembourg Luxembourg
(Strasbourg, France, 22 May 1952)
Biggest defeat
 Denmark 9–0 France 
(White City, United Kingdom, 19 October 1908)
Summer Olympics
Appearances1 (first in 1908)
Best resultFirst round (1908)

The France national football B team is a national football team representing France that plays matches at a lower level than the France national football team. In France, the team is usually called "France A–". They commonly played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations, from 1922 to 2001.[1]

The team runs occasionally as a feeder team for France national football team, to give a chance to under-21 or less experienced players to play for the national team without being awarded a full cap. The team may play matches held before World Cups or other tournaments to give second-choice players, injured players or possible choices an opportunity to play a full game to either keep their fitness levels up or to earn their way into the first team.

History

Pre-history

The France B team was officially created in 1922, however, at the 1908 Summer Olympics, two teams from France participated in the tournament, the main team and a "B" side,[2] but the matches that this team played in London are not recognised by French Football Federation (FFF) as official B team games. France B was eliminated in the first round by Denmark with a score of 9–0, but the main team did no better as Denmark then defeated France A in the semi-finals by a score of 17–1, conceding 10 goals from one player alone, which was a world record at the time.[3] Remarkably, both French teams conceded pokers from Vilhelm Wolfhagen.

Early history

France B was officially created in 1922 and the team made its debut on 15 January 1922 at the ground of SC Luxembourg in Luxembourg City, where they lost to the Luxembourg A team 3–2, courtesy of a hat-trick from Robert Elter,[4][5] but France B fought back and achieved some vengeance in their next game when they faced the Luxembourg A team again on 25 February 1923 at Stade Bergeyre in Paris, this time being them the ones to win 3–2.[1]

Mediterranean Cup

Until 1968 (except for war years), the French B side played at least one match per year, with their most-scheduled year being in 1952 with eight matches against foreign nations A or B, of which France lost only once, a 3–1 defeat at the hands of Saarland.[1] In the following year, France B participated in the 1953–58 Mediterranean Cup, where they faced the A teams of Turkey, Egypt and Greece home and away, as well as the B teams of Italy and Spain, and France started the tournament with three consecutive 0–0 draws before losing 0–2 to Spain B, and their inability to score goals stayed on as they then beat Greece 1–0 only thanks to an own goal, but despite their failure to score a single goal in 5 games, France regained his feet and still managed to finish the tournament in second-place with 12 points, finishing with 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats, with their best victory coming against Egypt (7-1) in Nice on 15 April 1955.[6]

Decline

After 1968, the use by French coaches of this selection became rarer: between 1971 and 1982, only eight matches took place and then the B side became inactive. It was Michel Platini, the then French coach, who revived this team under the name of France A– on 16 November 1988, which remained unchanged (sept for between 1990 and 1992, when the team was again called the "France B team") until 2001.

Recent history

The most recent match of France B was on 5 February 2008 against Congo DR in Marbella, the day before the regular A-team friendly in Málaga. The team line-up was Steve Mandanda (Hugo Lloris 46'); Gaël Clichy, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Philippe Mexès, Bacary Sagna; Jérôme Rothen, Alou Diarra, Samir Nasri (Gaël Givet 76'), Mathieu Flamini (Jérémy Menez 17'), Jimmy Briand; Djibril Cissé; team members Sébastien Squillaci and Abou Diaby were not used.

Results

16 November 1988 Friendly France B France 1–0 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia B Auxerre, France
Micciche 90' Report Stadium: Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps
15 February 1989 Friendly France B France 1–0 Netherlands Netherlands B Nimes, France
Xuereb 17' Report Stadium: Stade des Costières
12 January 1993 Friendly Senegal Senegal 1–3 France France B Dakar, Senegal
Sané 88' Report Loko 8', 52'
Prunier 38'		 Stadium: Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor
7 June 1993 Friendly France B France 2–0 Venezuela Venezuela Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Report Dedebant 59 '
Djorkaeff 67'
10 June 1993 Friendly France B France 1–3 Colombia Colombia Fort-de-France, France
Djorkaeff 46' Report Valencia 75', 84', 90' Stadium: Stade Pierre-Aliker
27 July 1993 Friendly France B France 5–1 Russia Russia U-21 Guingamp, France
Djorkaeff 15', 29'
Dedebant 49'
Guérin 56' (pen.)
Bancarel 73'		 Report Kulik 67' Stadium: Stade de Roudourou
19 September 1993 Friendly Monaco FC Monaco 1–2 France France B Monaco, France
Simba 31' Report Fournier 57'
Leboeuf 64' (pen.)		 Stadium: Stade Louis II
2 February 1994 Friendly Tunisia  1–1 France France B Tunis, Tunisia
Mahjoubi 71' Report Gnako 4' (pen.) Stadium: Stade El Menzah
25 May 1994 Friendly France B France 4–1 Francophonie XI Évry, France
Zitelli 17'
Baticle 33', 89'
Madar 53'		 Report Camara 42' Stadium: Ludwigsparkstadion
17 January 1995 Friendly France B France 1–0  Belgium Le Havre, France
Gravelaine 7' Report Stadium: Stade Jules Deschaseaux
25 May 1995 Friendly France B France 1–0 Slovakia Slovakia Cherbourg, France
Pouget 37' Report Stadium: Stade Maurice-Postaire
24 January 1996 Friendly Italy U-23 Italy 0–0 France France B Reggio Calabria, Italy
Report Stadium: Comunale
Note: France is a U-23 Selection of 2nd Division
26 March 1996 Friendly Belgium U-21 Belgium 1–1 France France B Charleroi, Belgium
Walem 10' Report Rodriguez 90' Stadium: Stade du Pays de Charleroi
19 January 1999 Friendly France B France 2–0 Croatia Croatia B Nîmes, France
Laigle 65'
Née 70'		 Report Stadium: Stade des Costières
10 February 1999 Friendly France B France 2–1 Belgium Belgium U-21 Angers, France
Déhu
Vairelles 31' (pen.)
Robert 35'		 Report Maertens 52' Stadium: Stade Raymond Kopa
2 June 1999 Friendly France B France 2–1 Germany Germany B Lens, France
Ziani 45'
Monterrubio 86'		 Report Schneider 7' Stadium: Stade Bollaert-Delelis
1 September 1999 Friendly Germany B Germany 1–3 France France B Karlsruhe, Germany
Neuendorf 25' (pen.) Report Maurice 41' (pen.), 72'
Monterrubio 59'		 Stadium: Wildparkstadion
22 February 2000 Friendly Belgium U-21 Belgium 1–1 France France B Waregem, Belgium
Sonck 8' Report Diomède 58' Stadium: Regenboogstadion
25 April 2000 Friendly Morocco Olympics Morocco 0–1 France France B Casablanca, Morocco
Report Sibierski 77' Stadium: Stade Mohammed V
22 March 2001 Friendly France B France 1–2 Germany Germany Mulhouse, France
Marlet 70' (pen.) Report Böhme 33' (pen.)
Ricken 45'		 Stadium: Stade de l'Ill

References

  1. 1 2 3 "France - B/A'-Team - International Results 1922-2001". RSSSF.com. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. ↑ Jon Carter. "Great Britain's first home Olympic football adventure". ESPN. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "Boxscore of Denmark-France match". Archived from the original on 6 March 2005. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "International football match: 15.01.1922 Luxembourg vs France*". EU-football.info. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Luxembourg - List of Unofficial International Matches". RSSSF. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Mediterranean Cup 1953-1957 results". football.eu. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
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