Gourcuff gives France Z factor

He's young, good-looking and talented - what's the downside to being Yoann Gourcuff right now? There isn't one, although it's too soon to say whether we can add "job saver" to his list of attributes. The playmaker's sensational 35-yard equaliser against Romania on Saturday night, however, was the best hope beleaguered France boss Raymond Domenech has of keeping his post.

We'll find out on Wednesday night whether France's controversial coach stays or goes after taking just four points a possible nine in les Bleus' opening three World Cup qualifiers. But, in the meantime, French football fans are celebrating the arrival of a player who could be pivotal for years to come. Gourcuff was outstanding in France's 2-2 draw in Constanta on Saturday night, so a newly adoring home welcome awaits him if he runs out France's friendly against Tunisia at Stade de France tonight.

The fact that he's finally blossomed isn't a surprise to watchers who've followed his career closely. After starting his career at the Brittany club Rennes, he attracted attention from a host of rich clubs from across Europe and moved to AC Milan while still a teenager two years ago. During a difficult time in Italy he failed to win over the manager Carlo Ancelott and returned to France last June when Bordeaux signed him on a loan.

Anxious to make up for lost time, Gourcuff began this season in sensational fashion and earned a first national team start against Serbia last month. His man-of-the-match performance in France's 2-1 win hinted at more to come. The "more" came last Saturday: he exhibited his full range of skills against the Romanians, setting up Franck Ribery's goal with a deft flick when France trailed 2-0 and unleashing that magnificent, dipping drive to make the score 2-2 21 minutes from time. Until that point no one had dared mentioned the "Z" word - Zidane - but there's no point denying the comparisons anymore. Zinedine Zidane and Gourcuff both made their international debuts at 22, flourished for Bordeaux and operate in the same area of the pitch. But there's more to it than that - Gourcuff manoeuvres the ball beneath and between his feet like Zidane did. When the playmaker's in possession, it's like watching the great man all over again.

Thierry Henry summed it up. "There's a lot about him that reminds me of Zizou, the way he collects the ball and moves it around," he said. "Aside from his unbelievable goal, I was impressed with his all-round performance. The comparison [with Zidane] is inevitable. When you have a point of reference like Zidane, it's normal to always compare a new player with him." With his good looks and new-found status - not to mention rumours of a relationship with the French swimmer Laure Manaudou - which he denies - Gourcuff will attract attention beyond the sports pages. But his father, Christian, the straight-talking coach of Ligue 1 outfit Lorient, believes his son's feet will stay on the ground.

"He's ready to cope with the pressure," says Gourcuff snr. "His second year at Milan was very difficult because he hardly played. That helped him gain maturity. He's only 22 but I think he's able to handle things a lot better than other players his age because of what he's gone through. His two years at Milan were a great education. In terms of handling pressure, it was a great education. He's very mature for his age."

Ten days ago, when Bordeaux travelled to Lorient for a game against his dad's club, Gourcuff jnr spent the night after the match at the family home. So there are no signs of him getting carried away by fame just yet. But, no matter how low-key he stays, there's no doubt the latest French superstar has been born. jeastham@thenational.ae

'Panga'

Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta

Rating: 3.5/5

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950