With furrowed brows and lowered heads the France national football team returned home to nurse its wounded ego. No adoring fans awaited the team, who have received strong negative press from France since their first game at the World Cup.
“It's a complete disaster that we chose to express ourselves like this," said Florent Malouda, the only France player to score a goal this tournament. "We honestly didn't know it would affect people so much. We could not imagine what would come after that. We're really sorry for the French population and the French fans. That's not what we want to show.”
Malouda was ashamed of his and fellow team-mates' behaviour on the World Cup stage, stating the hardest part about the experience was the high expectations the team and France had heading into things, “[We] wanted to stay in the competition but we know we don't deserve it. What can we do? Go home. We deserve it." Although he did not comment on accusations that Domenech was at fault for the teams spiralling out of control, Malouda says that players are the ones who first feel responsible for the loss.
France has been the topic of conversation since their controversial qualifying game against Ireland, in which Thierry Henry’s hand ball goal sent the team packing for South Africa.
From day one in the French camps, rumours of mutiny surfaced as Coach Raymond Domenech’s ability to manage the French team was scrutinized. Even retired football star Zinedine Zidane was not impressed with Domenech’s coaching style or decisions. The two have a history of never quite getting along but Zidane says his feud does not impede his ability to judge good and bad decision.
Striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home from the tournament this past Saturday night. The star striker got into an argument with Domenech during half time of the France Mexico match because of inappropriate comments Anelka directed at Domenech. Refusing to apologize when given ample opportunities, Anelka’s behaviour was penalized by the FFF.
Following his disqualification from the World Cup, the France team staged a protest Sunday morning when they refused to practice. In an act of consolidation led by Captain Patrice Evra, who had argued with fitness Coach Robert Duvrene before he stormed off the pitch and resigned from the France staff, Evra and teammates locked themselves in their bus, leaving the stunned and infuriated Domenech to feed the hungry media the statement they prepared:
"The French Football Federation did not at any time try to protect the group. They took a decision uniquely based on facts reported by the press. As a consequence and to show our opposition to the decision taken by officials of the federation, all the players decided not to take part in today's training session."
Evra did not play during France’s last and crucial match in the World Cup against South Africa, and was stripped of his captaincy by Domenech. Domenech will not be returning to coach the French team, and will be replaced by 1998 World Cup winner (as a player) Laurent Blanc.
To make matters worse the French sports minister Roselyn Bachelot was asked by the nation’s president Nicolas Sarkozy to look into these matters, citing the “indignation of the French people” as the initiating factor. Henry will meet with the president to discuss the nation’s humiliation at the largest sporting event in the world, and to discuss the reform of French football. While speculations fly about who is to blame for the French fiascos – the players' attitudes, out of control coaches, or the interfering FFF - Bachelot has said “It’s not yet the right time to take disciplinary action – but that time will come very soon”.
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