Frankrijk 1960's Retro Voetbal Jack

The outstanding success in finishing in third place at the 1958 World Cup with world class stars like Vincent, Kopa and Fontaine pointed to a bright future for the French game in the coming years. None of those hopes would come to pass however and the 1960s would be remembered as little better than a decade in the wilderness for the national team. The turning point came in 1960 itself, the year that France hosted the inaugural European Nations Cup finals tournament. In the semi-final the French led Yugoslavia 4-2 with just 15 minutes remaining only to throw away their lead and lose 5-4. Things went downhill from there.

The rest of the decade saw numerous managers come and go as the national team failed to qualify for any major tournament apart from the 1966 World Cup. Even that campaign ended in early disappointment and tame group stage elimination.