France coach Raymond Domenech is amazed at suggestions that a quarter-final elimination for Les Bleus at the hands of world champions Brazil would be a dignified exit for his side.

Saturday's clash in Frankfurt will pitch together 1998 world champions France and the current holders from Latin America, and Domenech is baffled by the underdog status his team has been given.

Domenech said: "I am surprised to hear people say that if we lose to Brazil in the quarter-finals France has had a good World Cup.

"I think the opposite - it would mean that we had lost and that it would be an unsuccessful campaign."

Domenech refused to declare Brazil as favourites for the match which will see the victors progress to a semi-final with England or Portugal.

The coach said: "We are neither outsiders nor favourites - we just have a game with Brazil at 2100 hours on Saturday.

"We are looking forward with confidence, and everyone is delighted to be in the last eight.

"Brazil have been considered favourites for 40 years - they are used to playing under that sort of pressure. People have been writing us off as underdogs for 90 years."

The coach makes no secret of the fact he will consider nothing less than victory in the World Cup final as a successful outcome to the tournament for Les Bleus - whose match with Brazil is the first clash between the teams at World Cup level since the 1998 final.

"We are building towards one objective, which is a final on July 9," said Domenech.

"I have no time for personal battles."

Domenech, who like 1998 World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet has had tense relations with the French media and especially L'Equipe, added: "You haven't seen the work (on the training ground) that I have and the preparation work.

"I know what my players are capable of - you don't have the same data base of information as I have."

The coach, whose decision to persist with Patrick Vieira has been vindicated by two consecutive man-of-the-match awards for the midfielder, said: "People criticised us in the warm-up games.

"But football is different to the theatre - when the audience only sees the performance and not the rehearsals.

"We all have a clear objective of what has to be done, and our mission is to ensure the team has everything it needs - that no external excuses can be made - and can build around any problems."

Domenech admits his players were motivated in their last-16 match against Spain by suggestions in their opponents' press that Les Bleus were too old.

He joked: "Do you think the Brazilians (journalists) could do the same thing for us? A player's pride is what drives him. If the Spanish (journalists) made a strategic mistake it's not our problem."