(3 Jul 2000) French/Italian/Nat
XFA
Before the match, most French had confidence "Les Bleus" would win.

According to one poll, ninety percent of French people were expecting victory France has a football dynasty.

With its amazing come-from-behind 2-1 win over Italy, the French can claim a place among the all-time greats after becoming the first World Cup holder to win the European championship.

The French capital broke into a chorus of hollers, honks and whoops Sunday night as Parisians took to the streets in a frenzied celebration after the 2-1 triumph of their team over Italy in the Euro 2000 soccer final.

The win crowned France's 1998 World Cup victory, making France the first country to win first the World Cup and then follow it with the European championship.

Security was tight on the Champs-Elysees, where the crowds of joyous revellers brought to mind the massive national pride that turned Paris into a giant street party two years ago, when France beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup championship.

Street celebrations broke out in other French cities, towns and villages as well.

But Paris was the scene of the biggest, most intense outpouring of emotion.

About 400-thousand ecstatic fans, many waving French flags, crowded onto Paris' most famous avenue to mark the victory.

Outside the stadium in Rotterdam, the pain and the glory was plain to see.

While Italian fans struggled to cope with the disappointment, French fans rejoiced.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"We've beaten the Italian and we are happy! We've won!"
SUPER CAPTION: French Fan

SOUNDBITE: (French)
Fan 1: "The Italians played very well, They were difficult. But it was the golden goal. It's the third time we have never lost in golden goal."
Fan 2: "We were very lucky, France played very well. The Italians were very good."
SUPER CAPTION: French Fan

The pain for the Italians was that they had started so well, and looked like clinching their first European title since 1968 after Marco Delvecchio's 55th-minute goal.

But when Del Piero missed two golden opportunities to put the match beyond reach, it seemed the match could only go one way - France simply refused to accept defeat.

In Rome, Italian fans sank into a sorrowful stupor after watching the match slip away only seconds from the end.

SOUNDBITE: (Italian)
"Perhaps it would have been fairer to loose in the semifinal against the Netherlands, because today we
played better than France"
QUESTION "Who's fault was it?"
"It's the ball's fault. Because it went past our goalie"
SUPER CAPTION: Emanuele, Italian Fan

SOUNDBITE: (Italian)
"I thought that France would have won, but not in this way. Not in this way..."
SUPER CAPTION: Andreas from Munich

In Milan's main square in front of the city's duomo, or cathedral, a few fans hurled bottles to vent their anger. Police quickly intervened and the square emptied out in a few minutes with no injuries reported

France has lost just two matches since its successful World Cup campaign in June 1998, and only five since 1993.

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