GENVAL, Belgium, June 30 (Reuters) - France are very similar to Italy but with more fire-power, French striker Chistophe Dugarry said ahead of Sunday's Euro 2000 final between two teams with plenty in common.

'We play more and more like the Italians but we have more potential in attack,' said Dugarry, one of several French players with an inside knowledge of Italian soccer as he played for AC Milan in the 1996-97 season.

'We have acquired the Italians' tactical culture while retaining our French flair and that's what makes us so strong,' added the Bordeaux forward.

Seven members of the French squad have played for Italian clubs, four still do and two - Johan Micoud and David Trezeguet - are about to join them.

Key players like Zinedine Zidane, Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps all reached a new dimension by playing in the Serie A.

Aime Jacquet, then the French coach, said the experience they had gained in the prestigious Italian league was vital to France's triumphant World Cup campaign.

Jacquet, a confessed admirer and close friend of former Italian coach Cesare Maldini, admitted Italian football was his model and Roger Lemerre, who took over as head coach after the World Cup, shares the same views.

'Playing constantly at a very high level and going out to win every time is what the Italians have taught us,' said Dugarry. 'What we have to do on Sunday is be a strong as they will be defensively while expressing our own qualities going forward.'

France can turn to history for inspiration, having not lost to Italy since a 2-1 defeat at the 1978 World Cup and having knocked them out on penalties in the quarter-finals on their way to the title two years ago.

'We know they will be out for revenge,' said midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who made no secret that he would have preferred to meet the Netherlands.

Fellow midfielder Patrick Vieira, who went through one frustrating season with AC Milan before joining Arsenal, said he did not like the way the Italians played.

'It's boring to watch,' he said. 'All they do is defend and they just leave a few players up front do what they can.'

A watertight back four and tireless ball winners in midfield were instrumental in France's World Cup run. They might be even stronger now as Zidane is at the peak of his powers while Thierry Henry has matured into a world class striker.

But wing back Bixente Lizarazu warned an exciting display of fluent football was not to be expected.

'What they will do is try to stop us from playing our own game,' he said, predicting another tense, close affair after France's hard-fought 2-1 win over Portugal in the semifinals.

'But we have demonstrated already that we had the mental strength to survive that type of situation.'

Petit was dreaming an appetising showdown with the Dutch would provide the final highlight of the tournament.

'It would have been the equivalent of our final against Brazil,' he said, reviving sweet memories of a 3-0 defeat in which he scored a goal.

But Dugarry was not complaining, especially because he knew he would get a decent jersey after the final whistle.

'That orange Dutch shirt is awful,' he said. 'I'd much rather have a blue one.'