A rift between Raymond Domenech and his players appeared unbridgeable Monday after the French coach described them as “stupid” and revealed that some were refusing to play against South Africa.
“What they did was unqualifiedly stupid,” Domenech said of the players’ decision Sunday to walk—out of a training session in protest at the expulsion from the squad of bad boy Nicolas Anelka.
Domenech also admitted that he might have to exclude players that planned to boycott Tuesday’s match.
“It is a possibility,” he said, adding that he and his staff would evaluate later on Monday the players best suited “mentally and physically” to play in the next day’s match.
“I have always been in charge of the composition of the team and it will not change tomorrow,” he said.
The French coach was speaking in Bloemfontein on the eve of his team’s final Group A match against tournament hosts South Africa.
French Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot was also in the city and was scheduled to hold a news conference on the turmoil, which has become somewhat of a national embarrassment.
Unlike previous pre—match press conferences involving France, Domenech was not accompanied by team captain Patrice Evra or any other player.
Asked about the absence Domenech replied: “I thought the explanations and the excuses they would tell you would make no sense.” “What the people expect from them (the players) is answers on the pitch and not from a microphone,” he said.
On Sunday, the players motivated their decision to boycott the scheduled training session at the team’s World Cup base camp in Knysna through a communique which was read out to journalists by Domenech.
The coach said that for 45 minutes he and other team officials sat on the team bus trying to get the players to change their minds and retract the statement.
“I tried to convince them that what they were doing was unqualifiedly stupid. Then I said let’s stop the masquerade, the French people have the right to know, so I read it,” Domenech said.
“What I should have said (at the time) was that I in no way support what is being said in this document,” the coach said.
Anelka was dismissed from the squad after he refused to apologise to Domenech for insulting him during a change—room altercation at the half—time break of the team’s match against Mexico last Thursday.
France lost the game 2—0, seriously jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for the second round.
In Bloemfontein, Domenech described the French Football Federation’s sanction against Anelka as “justified”.
“No one can behave in this way in the changing room or anywhere.
High level sportsmen and women have to lead by example.”
