Column: Football part of France's post-terror regeneration (The Associated Press)

By blowing themselves up at France's national stadium, suicide bombers created a link, indelibly marked in blood, between football and extremist terror - things that, in normal circumstances, are worlds apart. Since that night last November, it has been impossible to think of one without the other at the vast arena where France's national team was playing Germany and where, on Sunday night, it will play Portugal in the European Championship final. Regardless of whether Les Bleus win or lose against Cristiano Ronaldo's 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.