But French football took a strange turn after that final. A poor showing at the 2008 European Championships, followed by a ridiculous display at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the reputation of French football eroded down to nothing.
Now Nike have a whole new task on their hands. With the French football team, Nike is stirring up slogans and advertisements which are reminiscent of the French revolution. The campaign with the French national team is entitled, "Vive Le Football Libre", which roughly translates to "Long Live Free Football". This indicates the new philosophy about the team; a more flowing and attacking style which is slowly being moulded by the young coach, Laurent Blanc.
This is Nike's description of the "Vive Le Football Libre" campaign.
"A new era inspired by creativity and attacking intent.
A fresh philosophy founded on possession and obsession.
A classic shirt created through innovation and elegant design.
French football enters a new era. The revolution is here.
Vive Le Football Libre."
It certainly sounds exciting, especially accompanied by such an elegant and striking kit. With Dri-FIT technology, this kit is made from a microfiber polyester derived entirely from recycled plastic bottles. For the shirt/jersey, the recycled material is mixed with organic cotton, balancing off at 96% recycled polyester and 4% organic cotton.
The shirt also features special sleeves, which can be folded to reveal a red portion, therefore retaining the classic blue white and red of France. The shirt has a deeper color of blue and the collar is very elegant, allowing a player to wear it as he prefers.
The shirt also features a slimmer cut embodying elegance and style, the French way. The printing of the names and numbers on the back of the jersey is a new technique of perforation which makes the jersey lighter. And to top it all off, the crest is also done in a special way, reducing the overall weight of the shirt, and making it more comfortable to wear.