So Why is Thuram on the Team? Really?

Why would a coach call up an injured player who will probably be unable to play? When we’re talking about Lilian Thuram, well, that’s the question, isn’t it? Lilian’s been nursing a calf injury since before the first of the year, and odds are that he won’t be better by Wednesday. So why has he been called up?

Well, let’s see what Bleus coach Raymond Domenech has to say:

“It is important that the leaders of the team are present, to mobilise everyone. Therefore Lilian Thuram, in spite of his injury, is part of the group… After all, the result of this meeting is not very important.”

Hmmm. Raymond Domenech calling somebody up for touchy-feely reasons? OUR Raymond Domenech?

It’s a challenge to figure out exactly what’s going on here, because nobody is going to talk publicly about the real reasons. But my opinion? I think that this has to go back at least partly to the anonymous Thierry Henry bashing from last December. Because when you get down to it, that wasn’t just about Henry. It was about the team, and how Domenech manages it. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: People who feel they have a voice in decisions that affect them and a way to express their thoughts tend not to go anonymously to reporters. The fact that several team members and staff apparently did is a reflection that all is not well on the France National Team.

Enter Lilian Thuram. Thuram is thirty-five. He has more caps (126) than any Bleus player in history. He is a thinker. He is a leader. People look up to him. Politicians court him. (A story which deserves a blog post all by itself.) At one point in his life, he wanted to be a priest. (Except for that whole celibacy thing. Actually, he said it was about priests not having kids. But last time I checked my Bio 101 textbook? Well, I believe one was related to the other.) And he spoke out publicly in Henry’s defense. In short, Thuram handles people well.

Raymond Domenech doesn’t. And he has to realize that. (Although I think I am seeing some heartening signs recently.) And, although I have no facts to back this up, I have to think that this is why Lilian Thuram is on the team.

Even though at this point Les Bleus could really use a healthy defender, I think that in the long run, having our Lilian on this team for this game may make a bigger difference.

Or maybe he and Raymond are secretly…ahem… involved. What do I know?

P.S. That last part? I’m kidding.

(This is how rumors get started.)