Alhaji Righteous De Ambitious: World Cup 2010 Blog: Raymond Domenech: All Alone With A Pen

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

World Cup 2010 Blog: Raymond Domenech: All Alone With A Pen

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:01 AM PST

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The inevitable has happened: Raymond Domenech’s written a book. It’s called All Alone (Tout Seul) and it appears to have a heavy focus, if it’s not entirely centered upon, the French World Cup 2010 fiasco. And in typical Domenech fashion, it’s been done with drama, controversy and throwing absolutely everyone in the vicinity underneath the bus. Which might not make for a great football coach, but it damn sure aids in selling books. A few excerpts of name-calling, yelling and weeping from Ray’s autobiography(ish) reveals his true feelings, and that he thinks Franck Ribery is a bit of an ass. Though who doesn’t.

On the abyss:

On the day of the strike hundreds of locals from the town of Knysna gave the French players a rousing reception when they stepped off the team bus. After quickly shaking hands and signing autographs, they all returned to their bus. “The France team had just crucified itself, in public, live on television,” Domenech said. “Maybe the players realised it, maybe they didn’t. Anyway, it was too late. The infernal machine had started up and was dragging all of Les Bleus to the abyss.”

Pretty versus not so pretty:

“Ribéry doesn’t like Gourcuff, that’s for sure. Before the Uruguay match I told Gourcuff: ‘You have the keys to the match, it’s down to you,’” Domenech says. “The worst thing was Ribéry’s look. Maybe I’m exaggerating but in his eyes I saw hatred, contempt or jealousy.

“He’s the same as Anelka and Henry, everything revolves around their belly buttons. When things go wrong, they’re the first to jump ship. A senior player warned me about Ribéry in 2008; and me, I gave him the keys [to the team]. What a moron I am.”

And of course, Ray’s deepest emotions:

“I’m out of here. I couldn’t give a damn about this bunch of imbeciles,” he says in his book, written largely in diary form. “I have no energy left. I don’t like them any more. I’ve had enough of their tantrums,” Domenech wrote before the 2-0 defeat by Mexico. “This team is completely incapable of transcending itself and I’m certainly to blame for something. I got it all wrong. I feel humiliated to have got it so wrong.”

[Link]