Raymond Domenech
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Raymond Domenech (born January 24, 1952 in Lyon) is a former French football player and the current manager of the French national team. He is of Catalan descent. His father fled Spain during the rule of Francisco Franco.
On July 12, 2004, he was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the eventual tournament winners Greece.
World Cup Qualifying
France struggled in the qualifiers, even though the team was seeded in a group that included the relatively unheralded teams of Israel, Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland, and Domenech had to persuade Claude Makélélé, Lilian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane, members of the France's 'golden generation', out of international retirement to aid the national team to eventually qualify. The general consensus in France, however, was that France was too dated a side to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup, despite the return of their cherished talisman, Zidane.
Domenech's management style has also raised eyebrows amongst players and fans. A keen amateur dramatist and astrologer, Domenech has admitted to distrusting Scorpios, such as Robert Pires. His decision to leave out FC Barcelona star Ludovic Giuly, and subsequent refusal to explain that decision, left many French players and fans mystified . Domenech's selection for the France's World Cup squad was further criticised when he publicly announced that Fabien Barthez would start ahead of Lyon goalkeeper Grégory Coupet. This decision was met with derision in the French press and also led to Coupet walking out of the national squad before the tournament, though he was later to return. His tactical strategies, perceived as "naive" amongst the French press and his team's slow start in the 2006 FIFA World Cup (recording ties against Switzerland and South Korea before finally defeating Togo) had seen him placed under further pressure. However, with France eventually finishing second after losing to Italy on penalties and with impressive victories over Spain, Brazil, and Portugal, the pressure has lifted and the Federation Francais de Football is in negotiations to to renew Domenech's contract [link].
Career
- 1969-1977: played for Olympique Lyonnais. Won Coupe de France in 1973.
- 1977-1981: played for RC Strasbourg. Won Championnat de France in 1979.
- 1981-1982: played for Paris Saint-Germain
- 1982-1984: played for Bordeaux. Won Coupe de France in 1984.
- 1984: retired as a player to later become a manager
- 1985-1989: manager of Mulhouse
- 1989-1993: manager of Olympique Lyonnais
- 1993-2004: manager of French youth team (les Bleuets)
- July 12 2004: manager of the French national team (les Bleus)
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References
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