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PARIS -- By blowing themselves up at Frances national stadium, suicide bombers created a link, indelibly marked in blood, between football and extremist terror -- things that, in normal circumstances, are worlds apart. Cheap Kansas City Royals Jerseys .Since that night last November, it has been impossible to think of one without the other at the vast arena where Frances national team was playing Germany and where, on Sunday night, it will play Portugal in the European Championship final.That unwanted bond now also gives football, the French team and the Stade de France important roles in the long healing process that France is still only part-way through.Regardless of whether Les Bleus win or lose against Cristiano Ronaldos team, hosting and celebrating the championship game will be one more step back toward the carefree life France is famous for, even if the reality was never as picture-postcard perfect.The scale of the horror on Nov. 13, the 130 dead and hundreds injured, rendered frivolities like football completely irrelevant. It is no exaggeration to say that it seemed as though France might never be happy again. The emotions were of the rawest kind: fear, fury, confusion, and survivors guilt.On the airwaves, first aiders spoke of battlefield wounds. The president spoke of war and declared a state of emergency -- still in force today. Soldiers, heavily armed and in camouflage gear that in any other context would have been comical because they stick out like sore thumbs against the limestone backdrop of urban Paris, patrolled the streets -- a sight both reassuring and worrying because it suggested that France had been permanently changed, which it was.Soldiers still patrol. Its frightening how quickly one gets used to having them around.For the second time in the year, kids came back from school with notes to inform their parents that theyd be observing a moment of silence, as they did after the attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in January.As flowers, candles and cards stacked up outside the Bataclan concert hall where casualties were most concentrated, people also went in ones, twos and small groups to the 80,000-seat stadium in Paris northern outskirts which, before three bombers targeted it, was associated most strongly with happy memories of Frances greatest sporting triumph, when Zinedine Zidane scored twice to down mighty Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final.The visitors wanted answers but got only more questions because there is no explaining the unexplainable. Some took photos of the flecks of bombers flesh on walls and tarmac before municipal cleaners power-hosed them down the sewers. The souvenir snappers motivations werent necessarily voyeuristic or macabre. They were merely mapping the new fault lines the attacks opened in Frances history and future.Football, of course, cannot wash away Frances trauma nor does it pretend to. But it is true to say that, because it is a powerful positive collective experience, winning at football can have unique restorative powers for a society that has just shared a powerful collective but negative experience.Hosting the 24-nation Euro and Les Bleus advance through six games to the trophy match has put distance between then and now. Winning, especially a 2-0 semifinal victory against world champions Germany, restored a sensation of power and national pride for a country that in November seemed vulnerable and weak, one which despite its nuclear arsenal and permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council could be hurt so grievously by shadowy enemies both within and based far away in Islamic State-controlled territory.Perhaps best of all, and because football is a sport that so celebrates and encourages these things, the tournament and the teams success has opened the gates for mass French silliness; allowed them to be wacky, bonkers, cuckoo and to go bananas; to yelp, shriek, howl and yowl; to have beer for breakfast; to bounce up and down together so vigorously in the Metro that it seems carriages could jump their tracks; to walk around with stuffed cockerels on their heads, with faces painted red, white and blue and in body-hugging skin-tight suits that unfortunately leave nothing to the imagination.In short, football has again enabled the French to not give a damn, at least in 90-minute bursts. And that has been wondrous. Unbridled joy on French faces that were so etched with pain has been the best legacy of this four-week breath of much-needed fresh air, better than spectacular goals, shots, saves or any of the other on-pitch dramas.On Sunday, as I cannot help but do since November, I will walk to the stadium to report on the final thinking again about the chauffeur who was killed outside after dropping clients off for the exhibition match against Germany that France won 2-0, a victory no one celebrated. Although I would much rather not, I will probably puzzle for the umpteenth time about what the suicide bombers were thinking.But then the clouds will be blown away by the sight of French people making merry, something that in November seemed might never happen again. At least not soon, in such numbers and with such heart.Being brutally reminded of the vulnerability of life also changed it. But football has also helped ensure that life, even changed, does go on.---John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester Cheap Royals Jerseys China . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Cheap Royals Jerseys Authentic . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. http://www.cheaproyalsjerseys.com/ . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days.Sky Sports News HQ reporter Paul Gilmour previews Northern Irelands World Cup Qualifying clash with Azerbaijan on Friday, a game live on Sky Sports 1 HD... What is it about this fixture and methods of transport? N Ireland vs Azerbaijan November 11, 2016, 7:30pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass In Baku, before Northern Ireland lost 2-0 in a World Cup Qualifier in 2013, Michael ONeills side were prevented from getting into training when a passing freight train blocked the entrance. The players, fed up of waiting, got out of the bus and walked the remainder of the journey. A lot has changed for both sides since then. Northern Ireland, re-energised under the exciting leadership of ONeill, reached a major finals while Azerbaijan, backed by heavy investment, are the surprise package of Group C having not conceded a goal so far - one of four teams along with Germany, England and Belgium to achieve this feat in the European section of qualifying. On Tuesday, a side led by the former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Portsmouth midfielder Robert Prosinecki arrived in style at Belfast International Airport. Viewed as further evidence of their increasing financial clout, the players stepped out of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first of its kind to land in Northern Ireland. Two Azerbaijan fans somehow found their way into a pre-World Cup qualifying training session – and made the most of it… Facilities have also been a key theme for this fixture. Azerbaijan have benefited greatly from better pitches yet made the decision to begin their preparation in Belfast three days before the match. In fact, they arrived here a full 24 hours before ONeills side, who had a productive few days near Dublin before traveling north by coach to the team hotel.Azerbaijan players didnt have it all their own way at the beginning of the week, though. On Wednesday they were informed that the training venue at Glentoran FC was waterlogged and the other two major Belfast venues (Crusaders and Cliftonville) were fully booked due to the popularity of their artificial pitches.Irish Premiership strugglers Carrick Raangers came to the rescue, meaning a 10-minute trip to training became a 30-minute journey, but the visitors enjoyed a good session. Cheap MLB Jerseys. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Prosinecki, who has affectionately been labelled Mr Angry by his players, clearly had fond memories of his time on the south coast judging by his rendition of Play up Pompey at the conclusion of our interview!He decided to train at 7.45pm each night to coincide with the kick-off time on Friday.I personally dont put a lot of value on that, said Northern Ireland manager ONeill.Our routine is similar to the clubs and what weve had is a consistent preparation over a longer period of time so players know what to expect when they come in. Minutes before the NI team arrived at their team hotel, a vehicle in the car park caught fire due to a technical fault What they didnt expect was to see firefighters battling a blaze at the team hotel. Minutes before the NI team arrived on Wednesday, a vehicle in the car park caught fire due to a technical fault. Emergency services were bringing the flames under control as the players made their way into the building. First to face the Sky Sports cameras was Northern Ireland centurion and popular member of the squad Aaron Hughes. Having recently celebrated his 37th birthday, Hughes has traveled from India where he is playing for Kerala Blasters.India is brilliant, it really is a good experience, Hughes said. The sport and league is on the up and away from football it is great to experience a different culture. Everyone is friendly and Ill look back fondly on this. Northern Irelands defender Aaron Hughes is currently playing his club football in India Hughes has been a consistent performer on his way to becoming NIs most capped outfield player but he appears more at ease coping with opposition strikers than Indias cows!Theyre sacred over there and they pretty much do what they want, he added.We went for dinner the other night and they sit in the car parks in between the cars. Little things like that are different. You just wouldnt see that in Tesco back here!Northern Ireland can move second behind runaway leaders Germany with victory against Azerbaijan before hosting Norway in March. Theyve already drawn away in Czech Republic.Weve as good a chance (of qualifying for the World Cup) as anyone in our group after the Germans, Hughes continued.QPRs Conor Washington is doubtful with a groin problem but Chris Brunt of West Brom returns to the international set-up for the first time in 13 months following a serious knee injury.The game is live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm with build-up throughout the day on Sky Sports News HQ Also See: Evans issues N Ireland warning Sky Live: N Ireland v Azerbaijan ONeill content with start Charlies World Cup predictions Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys' ' '