The previous week was one of shame for French national sport.  Two former captains played a central part in the French media, with murder and hypocrisy to the fore. 

Marc Cecillon, former captain of the French national rugby team, was convicted for the shooting and murder of his wife in 2004.  The murder took place whilst he was purported to have been in a drunken rage and, for which senseless act, the French judiciary decided to ‘bang him up’ for a paltry 20 years. 

This embodiment of French masculinity had reputedly been drinking heavily at a wedding reception, in southern France, before manfully “slapping” an unidentified woman.  Having been asked to leave, he later returned with a Magnum revolver and shot at his wife several times before killing her in cold blood.  Her mistake had been a refusal to leave with him. 

This led me to ask myself several questions.  Firstly, how did it take so long to convict this French icon?  Two years for bringing a successful prosecution in an ‘open and shut case’ seemed somewhat casual and inefficient, even by French standards.  Secondly, how did he get away with such a lenient sentence?  A mere 20 years for murdering his wife seemed particularly generous for someone who, according to his two daughters, had previously turned family life into hell with his behaviour resulting from alcohol abuse.   

No doubt, they took his persuasive defence into account.  He claimed that he had only wanted to intimidate her.  Well, that’s alright then!  By all means, walk around France with a revolver and intimidate people all you want.  If you should accidentally shoot your spouse, who chooses not to be intimidated by your display of Gallic masculinity, then we’ll put you away for a token term.  I wonder how many years before he’s actually back on the streets.   

That brings me onto a somewhat more amusing incident; unless you’re Mrs Zidane of course!  There had been speculation for weeks that Zinedine Zidane, the former national football captain, had been playing away from home with chanteuse Nadia Zighem. 

Now, it must be admitted that both the married father of four and Miss Zighem had denied the rumour.  Indeed, even a Hands off Zidane campaign had been organised, but one does wonder why poor Miss Zighem wasn’t accorded the same respect.  The pair even went as far as denying the rumours, claiming that they had only met once at a charity event.   

Unfortunately for Zidane and Zighem, a French celebrity magazine Voici didn’t believe their story.  Last Wednesday saw the magazine publish two photos of the pair entering an “apartment building in a chic district in western Paris”.  The pair had cunningly tried to disguise themselves; she with a pair of dark glasses, he with a woolly bobble hat.  Subtle; glasses and woolly hat, I bet that’s never been tried before!   

So, the truth is out.  France is now involved in a soul searching debate over whether Zidane’s god-like status should be re-evaluated.  Can the French be serious when they talk about a debate?  A multi-millionaire betrays his wife and four children after portraying himself as a simple family man, a man of the people, a man whose family comes before everything.  Come on, the guy’s a hypocrite who’s portrayed himself as one image and lives the life of another.  What is there to debate?  Then I remember; he’s French!!!