Patrick Vieira concedes that he may be part of the problem confronting English football. The Arsenal midfield player, an integral part of the French squad many believe can emulate their World Cup success at Euro 2000, accepts that there are too many imported players in the Premiership for the England team to prosper.

'That may be a problem for England,' said Vieira. 'In France, many of the teams like Nantes, Auxerre and Monaco have many good, young French players. The development of young players in France is probably one of the best in Europe.

'They will now have the problem of forcing their way into the full squad. It is a difficult one for them but you know that you have to fight to get in there. I had to fight to do that and so will they.

'As for England, I was surprised that they went out. I thought they were one of the better teams and that they would at least get through the first phase. I am disappointed for my teammates at Arsenal that they were eliminated. But I saw some of the game against Romania and, to be honest, I don't think they played so well. It was a bad competition for them.'

Diplomatic understatement, perhaps, but Vieira was less restrained when it comes to assessing French chances. He needed only a micro-second to pin-point the quality that France hope will serve them well as Euro 2000 reaches its sudden-death stage.

'Mental strength,' said the player whose contribution in the last two matches may earn him a place in the starting line-up against Spain in Sunday's quarter-final in Bruges.

'All through the World Cup two years ago, we were involved in pressure matches. We came through. Since we won the trophy, the pressure has been even greater. We are now the team everyone wants to beat because we are world champions.

'Every match is intense, every match has pressure. The one against Spain on Sunday is just another one with a lot on the result. We have had those for two years. Perhaps, if there is a difference now, it is that we can not only win the big games. Because of the way players like Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and David Trezeguet have developed, we can now win playing good football.'

That was evident in the two wins that took France into the last eight and even in defeat against Holland for what was very much the shadow team, the football produced was of the highest quality. No wonder Vieira was able to say: 'That defeat has not affected morale or spirit within the squad, not at all. We always go out on the pitch to win. Always.'

As yet, Vieira does not know whether he will start against Spain. He said: 'If I do, great. If I am on the bench, so be it. The important thing is that we go through.' However, his Highbury colleague Emmanuel Petit's knee injury has increased Vieira's chances of facing the Spanish.

One certain starter is Bixente Lizarazu. The compact left-back has been a mainstay for the French since he made his debut eight years ago against Finland. He is dependable, reliable, comfortable supplementing the attack or helping in defence. More of a Kenny Sansom than Stuart Pearce in style and build, Lizarazu is one of the first names on manager Roger Lemerre's teamsheet.

He missed the past two matches with a thigh strain suffered in the warm-up against the Czech Republic but is now fit. 'I could have played against Holland if I was needed,' he said. For Lizarazu, the match on Sunday takes on a special significance. He hails from Basque country, has what he calls a 'particular relationship' with Spain and is a close friend of Athletic Bilbao striker Ismael Urzaiz.

'I don't mind playing them,' said Lizarazu. 'They have had three hard games after a hard season. The biggest danger is their attack, particularly Raul and Mendieta. They have three options when they come forward - one-twos, dribbling themselves or shooting. What we have to do is keep them in their own half.'

Lizarazu is another who likes the test that sudden-death football provides. The winner-take-all scenario appeals to his competitive instinct and, like Vieira, he views the setback against Holland as extra motivation rather than a cause for alarm.

'There are two faces of Spain,' he added. 'One is like they are struggling to row a boat, the other is capable of flowing, attacking football. We will be ready.'

Lizarazu knows that in the next 10 days, France can make history as the first team to win a European championship as the hold-ers of the World Cup.

He is not fazed by the success of Spanish clubs in the Champions League when Real Madrid and Valencia both reached the final.

'That wasn't the success of Spanish football,' he said. 'That was largely due to the key foreign players. Without them, they are not the same.'