France’s loss to Mexico unleashed a storm of outrage in France as media, former France internationals and politicians on both sides of the ideological divide heaped criticism on the team and coach Raymond Domenech.
“Sack them all!” railed conservative law-maker Nicolas Dupont-Aignan. “Changes must be made.”
The head of the left-wing Europe Ecologie party, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, was almost as stinging in his criticism. “What’s strange is that the players know how to play football, but when they play together, they play badly. They don’t like each other,” he said.
Cohn-Bendit reserved special criticism for Domenech and cited one of France’s living football legends, Zinedine Zidane. “(Zidane) is right when he says that Domenech is not a coach, he’s someone who just puts the players on the pitch.”
“Raymond Domenech was always like a weather vane, changing his ideas, the players and his concept,” said former France international defender Bixente Lizarazou.
Another ex-player, Robert Pires, said: “The France side is the image of its coach. He is not good, they are not good.”
“Imposters,” screamed the headline on the front page of sports daily L’Equipe.
The daily Le Parisien asked: “How can a side that never enjoys itself transform itself into a dream machine overnight? Through the magic of players who don’t get along with each other? With the knowhow of a coach who still proceeds by trial and error?” — DPA