Karembeu backs France in answers to your tweets

As a prominent member of the France squad that lifted the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1998 and a UEFA Champions League winner on two occasions with Real Madrid CF, Christian Karembeu was the ideal candidate to take some users questions via Twitter. The 41-year-old made 53 appearances for Les Bleus and is backing his country to go all the way at UEFA EURO 2012.

@benarsen1886: Do you see France reaching the semi-finals after watching the last few games?

Christian Karembeu: I can see France going very far, especially if we look at the stats. It is 21 games undefeated now and that shows how confident this squad is. At the same time, this squad has done well to come through the hard times and they have got a lot of composure so I can see this French side going quite far.

@stephenconroy1: What do you think of the current crop of French players?

Karembeu: It's very young but also mature. We can see that with Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa, Laurent Koscielny, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexès and many others. They all play for great European clubs, whether it's Milan, Manchester City, Newcastle or Valencia. It's true that we have a young squad, but one with some experience too. I hope that thanks to this maturity, they can take us quite far in the tournament.

@sandyrandang: What was the most memorable EURO match you played in?

Karembeu: I played against the Dutch in a group game in which we were competing for first or second place, knowing that we had already qualified. Everyone played and I think that one of the De Boer twins hit a wonderful free-kick that surprised everyone. It was one of the best I have seen from an opponent. After that, the title itself is the most important, to finish as winners in a competition is simply magnificent. On top of that, to receive medals awarded by Michel Platini was even better, so it was memorable.

@LSakkal: Who was the player that you moulded yourself on or looked up to?

Karembeu: Jorge Burruchaga, who won the [1986] World Cup with Argentina. I met him when I started my career at FC Nantes. Then later on, it was [Clarence] Seedorf, who I met at Sampdoria when he was just 18 years old. He was already very mature and mentally strong and I can see why his career has lasted so long. He is one of those players whose intelligence and will to succeed have helped him to forge a long career. Of course there are many others but naming them would take a while.

@vassilispap_: You played in Greece for years, do you think that the current Greek national team can do something more than just progress?

Karembeu: Let's not forget that Greece actually won the EURO in the not so distant past, despite not having the most glamorous squad. Let's not rule them out just yet as surprises can happen in football. [In 2004] Greece beat France in the quarter-finals and then went on to win the tournament. Greece were limited against Poland, but they still managed a draw and all is still to play for.

@asronline: How do you rate Italy's chances of progressing in the competition?

Karembeu: Italy have always managed to keep themselves afloat in difficult times. Italians have had to deal with a lot too. The Italian team is very much aware that they have the potential to be a breath of fresh air for the people, just like the Greek team. It is clear that in times like these, we will witness a rise in patriotic pride, which will make Italy an even more dangerous opponent.

@HenningBS: Who will make it through Group B?

Karembeu: I watched Denmark versus Holland and Portugal versus Germany. Germany are head and shoulders above the rest. Let's not forget that they featured in the final in 2008 and in the semi-finals at the last World Cup, which clearly marks them as being one of the favourites for EURO 2012 alongside Spain

@ValentinoLiguor: Who do you think will win EURO 2012?

Karembeu: Valentino, if you're Italian, then I'll say Italy but I think that France could win the tournament and be the surprise package, even though Spain and Germany remain favourites. My heart says France.