French fans in Oman excited ahead of Euro 2016 final

Muscat: French expatriates in Oman are electrified to watch their national team fight for its third European Championship tonight (Sunday).

Sophie, a French language teacher at the Centre Franco-Omanias (CFO), who is not a big fan of football will join her European friends to watch the big final at a hotel in Shatti Al Qurm.

Though she doesn’t own the blue Jersey, Sophie said it will be nice watching France becoming champions.

Robin, a French expat living in Muscat said he will gather with friends from Spain, Italy and France to watch the game at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Robin had just come back from the French capital, where he enjoyed a thrilling atmosphere during the semifinal between France and Germany.

“Although I watched the match in Paris, It felt like I was inside the stadium,” says Robin “everybody was shouting and singing of happiness”.

Funnily, an employee at the French Cultural Centre in Oman said that they have not planned any event on the occasion as they did not expect reaching this late stage of the tournament.

Hosts France are aiming to win their third European Championship on Sunday when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 final with the outcome potentially hinging on the teams' attacking talismans Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann.

France, who has beaten Portugal in their last 10 confrontations since 1978, has previously lifted the trophy in 1984 and 2000.

Portugal will be out to spoil the French party by claiming a first major tournament trophy after their most recent final appearance ended in a bitter loss to Greece as hosts of Euro 2004.

The final will feature a clash of styles as Didier Deschamps' pacey, attacking French team face Fernando Santos's tactically astute and organised Portugal side.
The outcome could depend heavily on the two men wearing the number seven shirt -- Portugal's Ronaldo and France's Griezmann, who faced each other in the Champions League final six weeks ago. On that occasion, Ronaldo's Real Madrid beat Griezmann's Atletico on penalties.

Griezmann is the tournament's top scorer with six goals, while Ronaldo has notched three.