Originally booked to fly from Japan, where they had hoped to participate in the second round, the team unexpectedly booked seats on the Wednesday flight to Paris and arrived at Incheon International Airport in three buses with girlfriends and friends at around 11:10am.

Upon getting out off the bus, they entered the main building with their baggage to pass through immigration surrounded by some 350 policemen. Star midfielder Zinedine Zidane in a blue tee shirt and brown pants said nothing, but gave autographs to fans. Appearing with his wife, David Trezeguet also went through immigration silently, while other players reacted by pushing away cameras.

Unlike the uncomfortable faces of the players, hundreds of soccer fans waited for them at the airport, cheering and their waving hands. Most of the French players waited for the flight near the boarding entrance an hour after going through immigration.

Spending the hour reading a football magazine, Zidane looked at the story about his rival Portugal's Luis Figo, while some players and family members picking up cosmetics or clothing at the duty free shop.

As soon as the boarding began at around 12:05, they hurried to get on the plane. Prior to this, Uruguay's players, who also failed to make the second round of headed home on United Airlines flight UA882 at 12:10pm, becoming the first team to go back home among 16 teams playing in Korea.

(Kim Seung-beom, sbkim@chosun.com )