Unfortunately, many of today's footballers could have made their careers on the stage. There were shameless theatrics from players clutching their heads as though shot, or rolling on the grass in imitation agony. A plethora of red cards and penalties ensued, some of which may have changed the direction of the tournament. French defender Laurent Blanc was suspended from the final, missing his place in history, partly because of the performance of Croatia's Slaven Bilic. The Croat reacted to a light tap as though he had been hit by Evander Holyfield.
Bad decisions cost other countries dearly.
Yes, midfielder David Beckham certainly deserved admonishment for his petulance, but a referee with more sense of the game would have shown latitude by raising the yellow rather than the carton rouge. As it was, he ruined a fluid game. But bad taste in the mouth left by bad decisions was fast-fading on Sunday night. What will remain is the image of Chirac, draped in a French scarf, kissing the victorious players as the triumphal theme of Star Wars competed with fans singing the Marseillaise in the Stade de France. On Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, the night was cold and rainy.