By Robin Bairner
Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, Thierry Henry’s similar action against Ireland, and even to some extent Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi; many of the game’s greatest players have found that their lasting image will be forever tainted by the misdeeds.
In that regard, Layvin Kurzawa is lucky. Too few saw his ill-advised and rather arrogant salute after scoring what he thought was the goal that put through France Under-21s through to the European Championship finals at the expense of Sweden. It will not be an indelible icon that will come to represent his career in microcosm.
Instead, it must be an action that shapes his career for the better.
Two minutes later, the young Monaco left-back learned what it was like to be humiliated in that manner as BK Haken’s Oscar Lewicki scored his second of the evening, to give the Swedes a 4-1 win on the night and a 4-3 success on aggregate.
John Guidetti aggressively repeated Kurzawa’s action in his face, following the full-time whistle the hosts did a lap of honour saluting the crowd and a picture circulated on Twitter of the Sweden squad all saluting in celebration in the changing rooms.
“I think when you’re mocking or teasing, and then you lose, there is some justice,” France legend and Uefa president Michel Platini admitted to France Info in the aftermath of the incident.
For former France U21 coach Raymond Domenech, who is more famous for his turbulent time in charge of the senior side, it was an action that summed up the arrogance of today’s young players in France.
“He is a moron,” Domenech told La Monde. “You’ve got to wonder where his brain is.
“As [coach] Pierre Mankowski rightly said, there was a lack of commitment, determination and of seriousness. We talk so much about these players they already have star status. They are so confident of becoming champions that they think they only have to stand on the field to achieve it.”
This is not the first generation of France U21s to receive a slap at this level. Two years ago a handful of players went out nightclubbing before the playoffs and were subsequently handed lengthy bans by the French Federation (FFF).
Kurzawa must show he can break this cycle of immaturity.
Strong and athletic at only 22, he is already one of Ligue 1’s best left-backs, having forced his way to become an indisputable starter at Monaco.
As is demanded of a modern full-back, he is particularly capable offensively. That he scored against Sweden’s U21s was no fluke – he scored five times in Le Championnat last season to end as one of his club’s top marksmen. And in addition he chalked up three decisive passes.
Little wonder, then, he felt rather cocky after his header in Halmstad.
But his confidence – and that of his team-mates – provided the fuel for Sweden to muster a late riposte.
Now the test is to see if he can learn from his error. Matches against Evian in Ligue 1 and Benfica in the Champions League follow over the course of the next seven days and will provide a platform to respond to his critics.
While playing for Monaco, Kurzawa has never shown any previous signs of complacency or such overconfidence that it metamorphosed into a fault. Of course, at the highest level he still has much to prove, which means slacking is out of the question.
When he is accepted as one of France’s premier players – as surely he will be one day, given his talents – he must remember the harrowing events in Halmstad.
This lesson has come at a good time for the 22-year-old. The setting was one that will see his pride damaged but not mortally wounded, and should be seen as a spur to keep on learning and to employ rigour at all times, even once the media perceive him to have ‘made it’.
Too often in recent years has French talent been squandered due to attitude problems. Kurzawa, however, has the opportunity to present himself as an icon of reformation to those following him.
Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, Thierry Henry’s similar action against Ireland, and even to some extent Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi; many of the game’s greatest players have found that their lasting image will be forever tainted by the misdeeds.
In that regard, Layvin Kurzawa is lucky. Too few saw his ill-advised and rather arrogant salute after scoring what he thought was the goal that put through France Under-21s through to the European Championship finals at the expense of Sweden. It will not be an indelible icon that will come to represent his career in microcosm.
Instead, it must be an action that shapes his career for the better.
Two minutes later, the young Monaco left-back learned what it was like to be humiliated in that manner as BK Haken’s Oscar Lewicki scored his second of the evening, to give the Swedes a 4-1 win on the night and a 4-3 success on aggregate.
John Guidetti aggressively repeated Kurzawa’s action in his face, following the full-time whistle the hosts did a lap of honour saluting the crowd and a picture circulated on Twitter of the Sweden squad all saluting in celebration in the changing rooms.
“I think when you’re mocking or teasing, and then you lose, there is some justice,” France legend and Uefa president Michel Platini admitted to France Info in the aftermath of the incident.
For former France U21 coach Raymond Domenech, who is more famous for his turbulent time in charge of the senior side, it was an action that summed up the arrogance of today’s young players in France.
“He is a moron,” Domenech told La Monde. “You’ve got to wonder where his brain is.
“As [coach] Pierre Mankowski rightly said, there was a lack of commitment, determination and of seriousness. We talk so much about these players they already have star status. They are so confident of becoming champions that they think they only have to stand on the field to achieve it.”
This is not the first generation of France U21s to receive a slap at this level. Two years ago a handful of players went out nightclubbing before the playoffs and were subsequently handed lengthy bans by the French Federation (FFF).
Kurzawa must show he can break this cycle of immaturity.
Strong and athletic at only 22, he is already one of Ligue 1’s best left-backs, having forced his way to become an indisputable starter at Monaco.
As is demanded of a modern full-back, he is particularly capable offensively. That he scored against Sweden’s U21s was no fluke – he scored five times in Le Championnat last season to end as one of his club’s top marksmen. And in addition he chalked up three decisive passes.
Little wonder, then, he felt rather cocky after his header in Halmstad.
But his confidence – and that of his team-mates – provided the fuel for Sweden to muster a late riposte.
Now the test is to see if he can learn from his error. Matches against Evian in Ligue 1 and Benfica in the Champions League follow over the course of the next seven days and will provide a platform to respond to his critics.
While playing for Monaco, Kurzawa has never shown any previous signs of complacency or such overconfidence that it metamorphosed into a fault. Of course, at the highest level he still has much to prove, which means slacking is out of the question.
When he is accepted as one of France’s premier players – as surely he will be one day, given his talents – he must remember the harrowing events in Halmstad.
This lesson has come at a good time for the 22-year-old. The setting was one that will see his pride damaged but not mortally wounded, and should be seen as a spur to keep on learning and to employ rigour at all times, even once the media perceive him to have ‘made it’.
Too often in recent years has French talent been squandered due to attitude problems. Kurzawa, however, has the opportunity to present himself as an icon of reformation to those following him.