Following the announcement that the Japanese national team will be training in Switzerland at Saas Fee ahead of the World Cup Finals in South Africa, the French and Swiss national teams have announced they’ll be training in ‘local’ ski resorts before they travel to the southern hemisphere for the Cup.

Crans-Montana will be welcoming the Swiss national team as they prepare for the 2010 World Cup. The players arrive on Tuesday 25 May in order firstly to acclimatise to altitudes similar to those where the matches will be taking place and secondly because the players found the sporting facilities in Crans-Montana and the Lens stadium to their liking. 

The public will have a chance to see them at work during several training sessions open to the public and a festival dedicated to football has been organised for 30 May in the middle of the resort, with a village at Ycoor where the Swiss Football Association will welcome fans.

The French football team will be in Tignes from May 18th to 25th 2010. The football players, who in fact train in Tignes in spring most years, are back at 2100m for their traditional training at altitude. Former French star Eric Cantona also usually leads a ‘breach soccer’ tournament at the resort each spring.

The players will pay special attention to this workout as a few matches will take place in Johannesburg, at an altitude of 1800 metre.  The complete list of the 23 selected French team players will be unveiled on May, the 11th.