Defender of French national football team Laurent Blanc kissed goalkeeper Fabien Barthez on the head, wishing him good luck before World Cup matches in 1998.
The kiss became the symbol of French team during the competition. In new edition of “in one shot” Mediamax Sport presents the history of this kiss of luck.
The hosting French team was happy about the kiss which brought them good luck. They kept on winning and moving forward as long as Blanc kissed Barthez on the head.
The French team had another superstition as well. The team was always listening to Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive” in the dressing room.
When they reached the final, Blanc was not able to participate in the decisive match due to disqualification. The footballers were trying to guess, who was going to replace him in the important match. It was the most discussed topic back then, just as important as knowing the winner.
The expectations of fans in the match against Brazilian team were justified. Blanc came out in ordinary sports uniform and kissed Barthez’s head before the match began. France became the winner (3:0) of the World Cup for the first time.
The tradition continued, bringing luck to France in UEFA Euro 2000 as well. When Blanc finished his career, Barthez did not let anyone else to give him the desired kiss.
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