Fabien Barthez have combined in a heady cocktail to awaken an unexpected soccer fervour among the nation`s women. "Barthez is so cute with his little bum and bald head," said one new convert, 31-year old Catherine, while her friend, Dominique, said she had fallen for the pony-tailed Emmanuel Petit. A pre-World Cup poll showed 70 percent of French women

were indifferent to the tournament. But as the month-long competition has progressed, interest in the national side has flowered - so that by the time of France`s semifinal against Croatia around half the 17.7 million French television audience were women.