Vieira has paid tribute to the role of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in transforming him from a player with unfulfilled potential who failed to make his mark in Serie A with AC Milan into an international midfielder set to face Italy in Sunday's Euro 2000 final.

However, he believes there is a belief now coursing through the entire French side that they can repeat their 1998 success.

'In the past two years, we have grown stronger and have more experience,' he maintained.

'Every player enjoys playing for this team and what is really fantastic is that every player wants to win again and that's why we stay at the top level.'

Vieira added: 'It was a difficult time for me in Italy but I learned something there, that football is first of all about working hard.

'The Italian players just want to win the game, they don't care about how they play. That's why they are at the top level in every competition.

'Arsene Wenger has done so many things for me though. He has made me believe in myself, he makes me enjoy football and I have learned so much from him.'

The Euro 2000 final may not quite promise to be the showpiece occasion it might have been had co-hosts Holland been taking part, given that for all of Italy's superb defensive talent, they have yet to find an attacking spark in the same way as the Dutch did.

However, while France know they are in for a tough battle in Rotterdam, Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf believes that there is an inner strength within the national side that should carry them through.

'We have changed our mentality in France. Ten or 15 years ago, no teams in France would have come back like we did against Portugal in the semi-final.

'We have changed the mentality and the spirit of the French people. That's good for the future and that's why we're very proud of ourselves. Every time we play, we never give up.

'We just know our strengths and work on them. We just give our best every game we play and that's it. I feel that we are going the same way this time and we want to go as far as we can.'

Leboeuf, who benefited from the suspension which ruled Laurent Blanc out of the climax of the 1998 World Cup, is unlikely to start Sunday's final as France's first-choice back four have yet to lose a game together in four years.

However, he believes that Chelsea team-mate Didier Deschamps and inspirational midfielder Zinedine Zidane will hold the key to the French hopes.

'It's good for the new generation to see how players like Zidane and Deschamps are playing. They are still the best players in the world,' he said.

'I see that people have been saying that 'Didi' has to give up and could be better. But I would love to have Didier Deschamps playing for France for another 10 years.'

Leboeuf meanwhile added he believed French team-mates Deschamps and Marcel Desailly would be staying put with him at Chelsea next season to seek further success with the Blues despite question-marks over their futures.

'For me, there has never been a question over 'Didi' staying at Chelsea. People say he has to leave the club and has to leave the national team,' added the defender.

'They have said the same about me. But I am very happy at Chelsea and we will stay there.

'I want all three of us to stay there. We have a very good atmosphere there and we just want to get on with that and achieve success for the club.'

Meanwhile, full-back Bixente Lizarazu believes France's quarter-final victory on penalties against Italy en route to their 1998 World Cup triumph will give them a slight edge in Rotterdam.

He said: 'Italy are going to force us not to play our real game. It's very hard to dribble against them and they always mark their rivals with two players.

'But I think that game at the World Cup will give us a good psychological advantage.'

Meanwhile, Fabio Cannavaro has warned his strikers to expect a tough examination against a top-class French defence in the Euro 2000 final.

Italy's defence won acclaim for their heroic shut-out with 10 men against Holland in the semi-final.

But Cannavaro knows France must be strong because his talented Parma team-mate Lilian Thuram can't command a place in his favoured central defensive position.

The pair team up in Serie A but in Rotterdam they will be bitter rivals for the European crown.

Cannavaro, 26, has developed a fine understanding at international level with Lazio defender Alessandro Nesta but he believes Thuram, who plays right-back for his country, is even more gifted.

He said: 'Both Thuram and Nesta are great players but Thuram is the one whose talents are simply from another planet.

'It's unfortunate that for France he ends up playing at right-back instead of in the centre.'

Italy, who played almost 90 minutes with 10 men against Holland in the semi-final, produced a memorable defensive display to keep the co-hosts at bay.

Nesta and Cannavaro, who learned his trade man-marking Diego Maradona in training at his first club Napoli, barely put a foot wrong as Dino Zoff's team clung on to win in a penalty shoot-out.

Cannavaro said: 'Nesta makes very few mistakes, he is always there to help out and he is used to winning under pressure.

'We have got great players and we've got the right experience but I would say that our best defenders are our midfielders. They make us look good.'

Italy also rode their luck in Amsterdam. Frank de Boer and Patrick Kluivert both missed penalties in normal time before Jaap Stam, Paul Bosvelt and de Boer, again, missed in the shoot-out.

Ronald de Boer, who missed the crucial penalty when Holland lost in the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, was not impressed by the Italian team.

He said: 'We had four, five or six open chances and didn't score. That's our fault not because they are great defenders. They played with 10 men behind the ball and that's easy to do. Who deserved to be in the final? The Dutch.'