Domenech Keeps His Job. No, Really.

July 3rd, 2008 | by: Laurie |

Let’s say you’re the coach of a team of exceptionally talented players. These players are handled poorly and crash out or a major tournament far earlier than expected. What happens then?

If you’re Italy’s Roberto Donadoni, you’re out of a job.

If you’re France’s Raymond Domenech, though? Nothing. Basically, nothing happens.

Raymond still has a job. Still has the same job, even. He’s still the manager of the EdF. But with a few conditions this time.

[FFF President] Escalettes said the council members voted 18-0 in favor of keeping Domenech, with one abstention. However, he suggested that Domenech may stand down if France does not get a good start to its 2010 qualifying campaign.

“He is the first to be self-critical,” Escalettes said. “Everyone is fully aware that the French team must evolve. We will see where things are in mid-October. But we have not asked him to sign a contract. It is a moral contract.”

He also insisted that Domenech must improve his current communication strategy, criticizing the coach for remarks that were “sometimes like pouring vinegar on a wound.”

“That has to change to reconcile him with the French fans,” the federation president said.

They also said that having so many players come out in favor of keeping Domenech had an effect as well.

“That carried some weight,” Escalettes said “If it was just Vieira and Sagnol, that would have been worrying but that there was (Franck) Ribery, (Karim) Benzema, and (Hatem) Ben Arfa proves something.”

Escalettes said he even went to Vienna, Austria, during Euro 2008 and spoke at length with UEFA president Michel Platini, who advised him to keep Domenech in place.

Two things are in my mind right now. First is that I do actually like Domenech. Second is that I am shocked by this.

Of course, I’m less shocked than I would be if I didn’t have readers who are informed about the workings of the FFF leaving comments here. Seb, I hope you don’t mind me quoting you:

Domenech is a persona grata at the FFF as he, to use a mafia term, is a “made man” there. I don’t think there’s another way to put it. He was a U-21 coach for over a decade, and has been at the FFF even a bit longer. Escalettes is similar. He is also only known in France as a FFF guy. He wasn’t a Platini or a Kopa. So he’s always been a Domenech sympathizer, if you will, and there’s the also matter that he was behind Domenech’s getting an extension after the World Cup. As the President, it’d look bad if Domenech were to be removed and he was the one who was the reason why the FFF would have to give Domenech his “early termination” clause, which isn’t insubstantial, admittedly.

Anyway, not to bore everybody, but the Escalettes’ contingent’s dislike of Deschamps is similar. Didier earned all of his plaudits on the field, and didn’t go through the coaching training that Domenech, among others, did. After all, as soon as DD retired, he became a manager, whereas it’s been said the FFF prefers its coaches to have some training/service in advance of becoming the sélectionneur des Bleus.

Or, in other words, you can never discount politics, because politics make the world go round.

I have my own thoughts on what needs to change if Domenech remains in charge, and I’m sure that Inara and Jeff do as well. But first I’d like your thoughts on what it means that Domenech is still around.

(Also, I’ll be putting up a post on this on World Cup Blog’s main page later today. I hope you’ll stop by and leave comments, because it’s always more interesting when people who know the team offer up comments.)

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lefutur

Let me be the first person (because I’m sure I wont be the last) to say that this is a very sad day for French football.
The fact that 18-0 voted in favor of keeping him on says that France is a unique place. Nowhere else on earth would this have been the case. I’m not sure what this says about the French mentality but something tells me that its not good. What I’m fairly sure about is that Les Bleus will lose many fans because this smacks of a lack of ambition, and as Laurie pointed out, a situation where politics matters more than anything else.
http://belgium.worldcupblog.org julien

18-0? WHAT THE F***!?!!! I THINK I HATE THE FFF! Nice job embarrassing France and French people like myself FFF.
lefutur

I also want to say that why are they valuing the opinions of players liek Vieira and Sagnol who should be retiring so that the younger generation can take over? Most of the players who have backed Domenech have done so for selfish reasons and not for the good of the team, which again, is sad.
http://belgium.worldcupblog.org julien

I still can’t believe this.
lefutur

This is all ego driven after all. Its why the team has no unity, why the coach is a d!ckhead and everybody hates him, and why the senior players are kept despite unconvincing performances.

This really is a blow for their hopes in future tournaments.
Steven

Wow, all the way from Platini to Benzema and Ben Arfa.

And the FFF’s 21-member council voted 18-0 with one abstention and two absentees … that’s some party line.
Michel-Olivier

trezeguet, mexes, frey, and flamini may as well retire from international football.
Seb

Let’s think positively about this. Domenech has NO excuses now. If he excludes Mexès and Frey, then loses, then he’ll be done with, there won’t be another opportunity. I am definitely anti-Domenech vs. a Deschamps or Blanc, though I’m not explicitly anti-Domenech in terms that I believe he’s incompetent. Stubborn, yes, though, an idiot? I think that’s only an act. I hope.

And Laurie, I never mind getting quoted, I’m only privileged to be mentioned where there are so many other wonderful folks who comment who would be as deserving.
Thierry

I’m not _too_ upset about this because I expect France to fail to qualify for 2010 anyway.
John

Lefutur is 100% right, and how can you listen to the players who are either backing him openly because he’s called/calls them up, or are not commenting their dissaproval because he has the power to call or not call them up?
And the teams performances have been pathetic. I don’t understand how you have a team with so much offensive firepower that can’t score goals; maybe that Toulalan-Makalele pairing is part of the answer, but surely can’t account for all. He’s lucky that Zidane and his FFF ties have gotten him this far.

As for this anti-Serie A conspiracy theory, when does he not call up Frey?
Benjamin

WAT THE FUKKKKKKKK
we were all looking forward to a rejuvinated team and a more attackign equipe de france…
and what do we get, domenech + his favorite players (malouda, sagnol, govou…)
http://france.worldcupblog.org Laurie

This was a comment on a French site:

“I am now a big supporters of Austria, Serbia and Romania. For the greater good of French football. I think that two points in three matches should suffice.”
Steven

Platini’s comments a few days back seemed to suggest–in the most diplomatic manner possible–that the team was in a “transition” state; and that while the situation was not good there was not yet a suitable candidate in place to take over from Domenech.

My guess is that Domenech will be gone by the end of the year.

Escalates comments are anything but a ringing endorsement:

“Euro 2008 was a resounding failure, not very glorious from a sporting view point and, perhaps more seriously, in terms of how it tarnished the image of the French national team”, he’s quoted as saying by the Guardian.

How you retain someone, though, after accurately acknowledging the “resounding failure,” is beyond me …

Writer Paul Doyle, also in the Guardian, comments,

“It may, however, be merely a stay of execution, for Domenech reportedly has been warned that his position will be reassessed after France’s first three qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. Intriguingly, the third of those is away to Romania, the side against whom France opened their Euro 2008 campaign with an insipid 0-0 draw. Despite the fact that that was the only point they gained in the tournament, the performance was so aimless and uninspired that it has become one of the biggest sticks with which detractors have beaten Domenech, bigger than the subsequent defeats to Holland and Italy.”
Jean Pierre

I think Domenech has made big mistakes, though he tried to do good. I wanted Arsene Wenger to coach the talented Les Bleus
Terry from Florida

though i adore the team, i hope they loose to sweeden and a few more games anything to get that idiot out,i am kind of like a parent that gives though love to his child, we will go the SA we might have to do it the hard way by getting the fu.. a….. out, because in SA with domenech we will FAIL,HANG ON DESCHAMPs, A FEW MORE GAMES LEFT
Confused

I like French people and I like French culture, but this makes me allergic to the French. How can the team selection, the soccer displayed, and the conduct of the coach be good enough?

I am totally confused as an observer, and I don’t want to know how the French people would stand for it. I guess I don’t know what I am talking about at all?
Jean-Michel

French people are confused as well.
Michel-Olivier

domenech is going to call zidane, thuram, and makelele out of retirement for the second time.
http://belgium.worldcupblog.org julien

Hmm and so close to our Fête Nationale Domenech avoids the guillotine. His career with les bleus should have been cut off. I still can’t believe this. A tragedy for French football. He is worse than Brazil’s Dunga and many Brazilians hate that guy.
Via

No, come on…. ?!!?

I cannot even comment that!
Jao

Sadly, I am hoping we suck in those first three matches. Maybe 2 draws and a lost. Hopefully that will get him sacked.
set

Well, the players seemed to want him to stay. It’s understandable if they prefer continuity. As sad as it can be, not many people have the experience and knowledge that he has and you can’t remove that from him.

This time, he’ll be under strict surveillance, and the critics are pretty clear. It seems obvious he’ll have to refresh the team with younger players and offensive football. It’s obvious to the whole world, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t do his best to correct that.

Wait and see..
Thierry

“you can never discount politics, because politics make the world go round.” Yes, all is said. I will always remember Domenech seeming satisfied after the match against Romania and applausing his players for a no match. Domenech is a good coach for Defense, but he is unable in attack. Like most of the french coaches who come from the DTN(Direction Technique National), he is good in Defence and tactical organisation, but have a big lack of ambition in offense. The opposition between the Last day of Ligue 1 and its 43 goals and the common number of goal the other days (less than 20) shows the very defensive mentality of the coaches who where educated in France, nowadays and the enormous difference between potential and ambition.
Storm

Unbelievable. How bad do you have to be to get sacked?
http://www.wickeddeflection.com jeff

A lot of France supporters were hoping for a fresh start. I’ve heard very few people who support him staying on. Casual observers, like my wife Isabelle, are disgusted that he’s staying on.

I, myself, hate it when a manager doesn’t pick the best available players, so I would have sacked him a long time ago.
Doumé

Well there are many things to say about this one for sure. I’ll address just one aspect. Lack of support.
First, in my memories of supporting les Bleus, going back as far as WC78 as a kid, I have to say I have never ever seen such negativity as the one surrounding the Team from the very start at the Euro 08, from the outside (just look at the Euro board comments, at the TV pundits) and also the inside (some French fans). True, there have been at all times, about 2 million assistant-coaches, specially in cafés at apéritif time. Now, with the web, there are even more people second-guessing any decision made at any time. Of course it’s not new, Mémé Jacquet had his problems with the media and the naysayers, and Platini too (even though he pledged every player would attack) and of course all the others. I think we have been spoiled overall in the last 10 years, with a great team, specially You-Know-Who, and expectations were high even with him gone, I’ve seen a comment at the start of the Euro saying “I expect no less than victory”. (I personally hoped we’d make the semifinal).

So basically, it seemed that France had retrograded to, say, a #194 rank after that Romania tie, and we were basically the filthiest stinkiest trash ever to set foot on grass. I guess, knowing that Romania’s game would be all based on no initiative and counter attack, Domenech was reluctant to go all out, for fear of getting stabbed by a Scotland-type goal (that would be a crappy start for the tournament); but we did have have occasions when the ball could conceivably had gone in (at least 2 very clear ones), and it would have been a different road from there. If anything, I blame Domenech for listening too much to people after that. Gallas said he wanted to come up and attack? He sure was allowed against he NL, and we got exposed to some murderous counterattacks because of that – yet we did have long stretches of domination against them, and they did say we were much tougher than Italy to play. After the NL game, people wanted Thuram kicked to the curb? Sure, Abidal was put in his place, with the results we know. The second Italian goal was just a nothing play, just a spit in the face from Destiny I guess (why don’t we ever get that kind of luck by the way?).

I sincerely think that Spain, along with the 3 other semi-finalists, benefitted from a very positive atmosphere and just wholehearted support from their guys (and the media, specially for Spain which could do no wrong) and it showed on the field. I feel there was so much pressure on the French players to score that they tried to play too cute and with no spontaneity (I think that’s why he brought Gomis on, hoping that he wouldn’t measure the gravity of the situation and play with youthful enthusiasm). I also think Domenech’s antics and weird behaviors were kind of calculated to divert the negativity from the players onto him, well it didn’t work since players were critcized for making the squad at the place of others. As for the choice of players, well, we all have our favorite leagues, teams, styles, guys but I’m not sure a Mexes at 50% and a Trezeguet would have given us some 10-0 results.

Can you base anything you do according to what the Italians do? Not necessarily, they do things differently. Remember that there was a period of time when they had, oh 14 prime-ministers in a 6-month span (something like that). I think several aspects of Domenech’s job will be accountable for, and reviewed, so I feel things will look a little more “orthodox” from now on.

And for those who started now supporting Serbia and Austria, respectable teams anyway, I think there are some jerseys available on EBay – I hope you enjoy their offensive fireworks.
Benjamin

to set:

im sure the players dont want to see him as coach just like all of us…
its just that all of them knew that IF domenech was kept as coach after
stating that they hate the guy, they would have joined domenechs shitlist with
ppl like mexes, trezeguet, flamini. And all the old players support Domenech because
he is the only one who will play them lol
http://lesbleusfrancefoot.wordpress.com/ Steph

I would have said something, but Doumé, that was brilliant.
Terry from Florida

IF I WAS IN FRANCE THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO, i love that team so much it really hurts me to see one person ruin our dreams.

WHEN DOMENECH ENTERS THE FIELS BOOOOOOO HIM WISTLE, EVERY TIME LES BLEUS HAVE THE BALL THE SAME,CHEER FOR THE OTHER TEAM,LET PEOPLE’S VOICE BE HEARD AT LEAST PUT SOME PRESSURE, I AM OK WITH FRANCE LOOSING THE FRIENDLY AND 2 WC GAMES IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES, WITH DESCHAMPS THE YWILL BOUNCE BACK AND GO TO SA.