After France's Euro debacle, media bay for Domenech's blood
Paris - To no one's surprise, the media pack have begun baying for the blood of coach Raymond Domenech following France's dismal exit from the Euro 2008 football championship. On Wednesday, the daily France-Soir ran a banner headline on its front page with the word "
Resignation" printed above a photograph of Domenech leaving the pitch on Tuesday following France's 2-0 loss to Italy.
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With a 'Swiss cheese' defence, a midfield without ideas and only a ghost of an attack, the entire Domenech system and his catastrophic coaching went under (Tuesday) against Italy," the paper wrote. "
There is only one way out for him: the door!"
The calls for his dismissal began just minutes after the final whistle, when former France international and one-time Bayern Munich defender Bixente Lizarazu told RTL radio, "
We have to move on. We can't start over with the same trainer."
Lizarazu recommended two former France teammates to replace Domenech: Didier Deschamps, who has coached at Monaco and Juventus Turin, and Laurent Blanc, who led the French Ligue 1 side Bordeaux to a spot in next season's Champion's League in his first season as a team manager.
The 56-year-old Domenech has been at the helm of the national team since July 2004 and led France to the World Cup final in 2006, which the team lost in a shootout ... to Italy.
In summing up the sorry performance of Les Bleus at Euro 2008, which saw them earn a single point and score only one goal in three matches, the daily L'Equipe highlighted Domenech's mistaken reliance on veteran players, such as defenders Willie Sagnol and Lilian Thuram, as well as his "incoherent" coaching.
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Ultra-careful against Romania (0-0), ultra-permeable against the Netherlands (1-4), ultra-unlucky against Italy (0-2), France leave Euro 2008 by the back door," L'Equipe wrote, and concluded: "
Domenech bungled his Euro."
The daily Le Parisien arrived at the same conclusion.
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From the beginning, Domenech committed enormous errors," the newspaper wrote Wednesday, and noted that midfielder Patrick Vieira, who sat on the bench for the all three matches because of a leg injury, had written a letter to the French Football Federation accusing Domenech's staff of incompetence.
Like other media, Le Parisien said Deschamps was the favourite to replace Domenech.
But perhaps the lowest blow of all was that of L'Equipe, who judged that Domenech's decision to propose marriage to his girlfriend on live television shortly after Tuesday's defeat was "
more than a coaching error, (it showed) a lack of taste."
In an interview with L'Equipe after Tuesday's loss, Domenech again refused to speculate on his future but insisted that "
this team has a real future."
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Tonight we are not winners," he said. "
But once again, it is in difficult moments that you can count your friends."
Domenech will certainly be able to count them on the fingers of one hand.
DPA